Into the Light
by IndigoHyacinth
Summary: Five years after the events of KH, Kairi sees a meteor fall from the sky and resolves to begin a search for Riku and Sora. Our living is still such mystery... I wonder, where does the true paradise lie...?
1. Dreaming Beach Girl

The Heartless can't see in the light. During the day their eyes are blind to everything except the light of people's hearts, the keyblade and keyholes, and the darkness of their own kin. It is in the shadows and the night that their eyes become usable, although not quite in the same way as humans. Colors become muted, almost shades of gray, white, and black. It is a vision of what the worlds could become as they are slowly consumed by the Heartless. Only the brightest of colors are distinguishable to them.

How is this important? It seems so trivial a subject, doesn't it? Few people ever found an interest in studying the Heartless. Even I wouldn't have cared all that much for them, had it not been them and their maker that had so radically altered my life.

Every day is the same. Each day, a meaningless blur of gray moments turned hours, each cold and emotionless. I thought I had escaped the darkness years ago, but somehow I still feel trapped within its world, its memory.

When I had last glimpsed the light, I had been filled with foolish hopes. I had thought that once I escaped the darkness and returned home, everything would return to how it once had been. The memories would fade away, the images and sensations change into a half-forgotten dream. Five years have passed since then. The events in that time have proven to me how very wrong I had been, how very little I had known. Someone had once told me there will always be a light in the darkness. I wonder if I will ever find that light again, if I will ever waken from this nightmare.       

I'm in the city of lost angels...or demons, I suppose, in my case. It was a name adopted during the years of the rapid destruction of the worlds and their people. The survivors were drawn as refugees to these crossroads. It's raining. I can feel the wet drops touch my skin, trickle down my hair and face; I can hear it splash in the growing pools at my feet. As I stand, the wind rolls against me in bales and tosses the folds of my clothes. 

I sense a familiar power growing closer to where I stand. It's strange, to say the very least- I had not felt it in years, but I know there is no mistaking the feel of its energy. I feel another power surge from the shadows. 

Obviously the Heartless recognize it too.

As I await its coming, I am gripped with another sensation...what is it? Anticipation?

What...or who is it that I suddenly desire to see? To know is still alive? After all these years....

The Heartless have emerged, surrounding him. I sense the drawing of a keyblade...wait.

Two keyblades?!?

He looks up. 

Does he see me? Recognize me? 

I wasn't an enemy, and I would prove this so. Doubtless he was capable of defending himself against the group of Heartless but nonetheless....

I caste a spell from where I stand, seeing even through my blindfold and across the empty space between us the clear blue outline of magic. A heart encircles the figure and the Heartless, and the creatures vanish as the enchantment hits them. I pull the dark fabric away from my face and look down...

Despite the rain and howl of wind I can still hear his voice, cutting through the air like a knife.

"Where's Sora?"

Meteors shower in the night sky behind me.

I wonder...had it been much to ask...

...to use the word "hope"?

###

It had begun, she remembered, on the beach exactly where she sat now. The sun had been setting against the horizon, painting bright colors across the sky. The emotions she had felt those long years ago had faded until she could barely recall them. No longer were they tangible sensations that flowed from her heart and overwhelmed her being until she could cry for hours on end without stopping; the well of emotions had slowly trickled to a stop as the years passed. Yet they would never truly be gone; they were simply waiting dormant for the catalyst that would again free these buried feelings. 

She was lying in the sand, her body stretched out on its warmth and her face turned towards the sky. Her eyes were closed, and her feet were stuck out just far enough into the surf as to be brushed by the chill waves. A shadow fell between her and the sun and she flicked her eyes open.

"Enjoying yourself?" asked a cool, female voice. Long orange hair fell over her shoulders from a black ribbon and she was dressed in an ankle-length skirt. Kairi stared at the newcomer for a moment, then propped herself up on her elbows.

"I was just thinking."

"Hmm....you seem to be doing a lot of that lately. And I suppose you've completely forgotten that you've been assigned babysitting duty with me?"

"What? That was today?"

Leena put her hands on her hips in reproach. 

"I see. So why am I not surprised?

She looked down at Kairi critically for a moment, and then sat down beside her.

"What's bothering you?"

Kairi hesitated.

"Nothing..." She started slowly, but Leena cut her off.

"I won't accept 'nothing' for an answer, Kairi, and you know it."

An uncomfortable pause of silence ensued before Leena decided to speak again.

"Don't tell me you're still thinking about...well..." Leena trailed off, unsure of how to word this tactfully. Kairi finished the sentence for her.

"Sora's and Riku's disappearance?" Kairi asked. "Well, in a way-"

"After five years? We all know how much you cared about him but really, that can't be healthy."

"You didn't let me finish." Kairi cut off in impatience. "I was going to say-" 

"Heads up!"

Two pairs of eyes fell with stunned alarm as a blitzball hit the ground barely a foot away from them, sending up a spray of yellow sand. A blond teenager in an open shirt and pant/shorts ran up to them, retrieving the ball with a grin.

"Sorry ladies!" 

They watched as he ran back up the beach to where a round of Blitzball was in play.

"The islands were doomed the day Tidus discovered Blitzball." Leena stated dryly. 

Kairi grinned. 

"I remember when Tidus' obsession had been fighting with that wooden sword of his. Strutting around the beach, picking duals with anyone he could convince...he hadn't even been that good." She finished with a laugh.

"Riku had beaten them all, hadn't he? Practically a legend among the kids."

"I guess so." Her fleeting moment of lightheartedness had disappeared with the mention of Riku's name.

Back at the game, Tidus was trying to convince a reluctant boy in a red and gold bandana to join his team. A fishing net was slung over the boy's shoulder and a large pink and white dog was romping at his heels.

"How are things going between you and Serge?" Kairi asked, hastily changing the subject. "Have you told him how you feel about him yet?"

Leena sighed. "I don't think I can."

"Why not? You like him, don't you?"

"Yes, but I think he likes someone else. That girl from the next village, Kid." She paused. "You've seen her."

Kairi nodded.

"At the last Spring Festival. How strange; the boy who never strings three words together into a sentence and the girl who kicked arse like no one would ever believe-it's hard to picture them as a couple."

"Not really." Leena said, a trace of gloom evident. She stood up.

"They're waiting for us back in the village. Are you coming?"

"I'll be with you in a minute." Kairi called as Leena walked up the path.

"Alright. Just don't be too long."

Leena soon disappeared around the bend. 

Kairi stood up, brushing the sand from her clothes and long hair. Her mind still dwelled on the conversation that she had begun to have with Leena about Riku and Sora and their "disappearance" from the island. 

She tried not to worry too much about them. She knew she simply couldn't agonize over that which she had no control over. Wallowing in self-pity and her own misery...where would that get her? What would things be like for her now if she had done that for the past five years?

And still...

It was a lot easier to say things than to do them, she thought ruefully. Where was Sora now? Was he all right? And Riku? And all those other people she had met, in Traverse Town or Hollow Bastion?

Then sometimes she wondered: why was it always up to Sora to save the world to take care of his friends? Why couldn't she do more to help him? It had been the same back then as it was now. Here she was, enjoying life at the Destiny Islands while Sora was probably risking his neck for the universe. Why couldn't she do more?

She clasped her hands behind her back and stared up at the sky, reflecting on these thoughts. 

A pinpoint of burning white light seemed to form in the distance. It grew bigger as it fell from the heavens and finally landed somewhere out in the ocean. A meteor? Something about meteors tugged at Kairi's memory but she couldn't remember what it was. All she could recall was that it was something important, vitally so.

She shook her head, clearing it. Leena was waiting for her; there was time to think deeper on this later.

Babysitting duty was usually easy enough for the two of them. Take the children down to the beach, Kairi would say. Find something to entertain them for a few hours.

Being with the younger kids of the community reminded Kairi of her own time spent with Riku and Sora when she had first come to the islands. The word had been spread that she had moved to the islands, but that wasn't completely true. A seven-year-old, all alone, without any known relations or friends... no one had even seen her before or could claim to have seen her arrival... she had just showed up one day. 

In any case, the fact that she had not come from any part of the Islands had been more than enough to intrigue the local children, especially Riku and Sora. They had been so fascinated with the idea of lands outside of their island. After that first day, things had just seemed to click between the three of them. Kairi had always considered herself friends with everyone she knew, but even she could have told that there was something special about this particular friendship.

As they got older, everyone had seemed to think that she and Riku would end up a couple. She wasn't sure when that had happened, but she had never thought of Riku in that way. It just seemed too weird. It had been different with Sora. It had always been different with Sora, although she hadn't realized it at first. She remembered a conversation that she had had with Sora, only a little before that fateful night.

"Sora, let's take the raft and go-just the two of us!"

The words had seemed to come out of nowhere. Even as she had spoken, guilt had seeped into her mind. How could she think that? How could she even consider leaving Riku behind? Wasn't he as important to her as Sora? Yet, another part of her mind had liked the idea of this adventure being something special, shared just by the two of them.

Then she had found out about the race over the paopou fruit... 

Oooh, she could have smacked them both for being such idiots. But again, that little part of her mind had been flattered Sora would race so hard for her.

"Poshuu!!!"

The dog that had accompanied Serge earlier was racing along the waves with several of the kids. Serge sat over by the docks, untangling fishing net; Kid was there too, talking to him. Watching them, Kairi realized that Leena was right- it wasn't so hard now, seeing them together as a pair. She felt sorry for Leena; she knew the girl had always harbored a crush on her childhood friend. 

Yet she also felt some thing else: regret. Would she and Sora ever be able to be together like that again? 

###

It wasn't until that evening that she got another chance to be alone. All the children had been hauled off to their homes in the village as the shadows had lengthened upon the beach, marking the end of the day; Kairi was the last one to remain. The sun had disappeared over the edge of the ocean and the night sky was filled with bright stars.

Stars. It was difficult to imagine that every one of those pinpoints of light was another world. Which one was Hollow Bastion, where Leon and Yuffie and Aerith had grown up? Or Traverse Town, where Sora had said that he had first met Donald and Goofy? The brightest stars formed constellations that she had learned to identify in the years that she had lived on the Destiny Islands. Stars...worlds...heartless.... now she remembered!

Meteor showers appeared in the sky when Heartless have taken a world's heart. Yet, hadn't Sora locked the door of Kingdom Hearts years ago? The walls of the worlds should have been erected...

Kairi took a sharp intake of breath. 

Something had happened to Sora. To the worlds. His journey had changed nothing. The Heartless were still out there and Sora was gone and had been gone for nearly five years ...

She remembered the last words he had spoken to her.

~I'll come back to you. I promise!

Sora wasn't coming back. Her hands clenched into tense fists at her sides as tears spilled down her cheeks. She was furious: with the Heartless, Ansem, everything that had ruined their lives and taken Riku ... 

Most of all, she was angry with herself for having been so completely useless these past five years.

~I'll find you Sora. Whatever it takes... 

She dropped her gaze from the sky to the sand at her feet.

~...I'll find you and Riku...

Light pored from her right hand and a baton appeared, clasped between her fingers. Not nearly so large as Sora's keyblade it was, nonetheless, quite definitely a key. Approximately the length of a mage's staff, it was gold and enameled in white, rose, and purple. She had barely time to wonder at this when the faint blue out line of a door appeared in the air before her. Looking through it, there seemed nothing on the other side but the sky and waves. However, if she looked at it from an angle, the air rippled like water or the surface of a still lake. 

A door to another world; there was no other explanation for it. She gaped at it, but quickly recovered and took a deep breath. This was the chance she had been waiting for; it was now or never. Closing her eyes, she stepped through the door.

~this time...I'll fight.


	2. Angels' Crossroads

She knew it had been a reckless decision. 

Or, perhaps reckless was putting it a bit mildly. Doors, she had learned, especially ones that appeared in highly unlikely places, could lead anywhere. For instance, getting stuck in Kingdoms Hearts itself wouldn't have helped her, Riku, or Sora, in the slightest would it? Not that it had been likely to lead to Kingdom Hearts, but at the moment Atlantica or the innards of Monstro would have seemed equally as perilous. 

On the other hand, she felt she probably would have gone completely insane had she just left that door there like that. Clearly, she had been meant to enter it.

That's what she tried to convince herself of, anyway.

And then, after all that-

She had passed out. Her body probably hadn't been able to handle the sudden movement from one world to the next, especially it being the first time she had done it this particular way. But still. It hadn't been in her best intention to arrive in unfamiliar territory unconscious and completely helpless.

When Kairi finally come to, she was lying on the side of a street in a puddle of water. It was well into the evening, the night sky filled with silver rain clouds that half-hid the moon and the stars. Damp, chilled through, and without a clue as to where she was... this wasn't beginning pleasantly at all. She brushed her hair away from her face, and blearily looked around. Where was that stupid key?

Her hand knocked against something smooth and cold, and she picked up the key...wand...thing with disbelief. Had that been there before?

How weird. Actually, this entire experience was weird and she expected that it would only get stranger as it progressed. She stood up on unsteady legs, eyeing her surroundings. This place looked familiar yet at the same time, not. 

Her mind took a few more moments to process what she seeing.

It was Traverse Town, she realized but it had changed. A lot. There were many more buildings now, most of them of a design very unfamiliar to her. These structures were taller and somehow harsher in appearance than the cozy shops and houses she had once known, with bright neon signs and lights flashing on them. In five years, she knew she should have expected some change but never would she have imagined anything like this!

Maybe if she found someplace more recognizable, she'd feel better about all this. But then what? Too late, she realized that she hadn't prepared herself at all for a sudden trip to other worlds: she had no food, no munny, and no plans at all for shelter or where to being her search. She was beginning to feel extremely foolish. 

Well, she had met some people her last time here. Even if Leon, Aerith, Yuffie, Cid had already left for Hollow Bastion, there were those relatives of Donald's living down at the item shop. Maybe she could ask them for help. Now, it would seem, her biggest problem was getting to that help. Traverse Town had been huge the last time she had seen it, and had probably only grown larger in her absence. There were maps at the District gates, but...

She groaned; she had barely begun her quest before messing it up. There was little chance of her having the same kind of luck that Sora had had his first time in Traverse Town. Leon and all the rest of them had been there waiting to find and aid Sora. As for herself...

She was just going to have to stick this one out on her own. 

~I'll just pick a direction and hope I get lucky.

Not exactly the best formula for finding her destination, but it was a start. 

She walked along the main streets, passing under the searchlight beams of the streetlights. It was quiet that night; Kairi didn't meet anyone as she walked but at times she got the uneasy feeling that she had seen something, or several things, moving in the shadows. Were they Heartless? She quickened her pace and speculated as to the extent she could possibly use her key as weapon.  

Stone stairs led up at the corner of a street. She took them and was relieved to see things gradually become more familiar. There was the row of little shops that Aerith had taken her to. Besides that was the café that had been run by a young cat-girl and her boyfriend. And there... she paused, staring at it for a minute to make sure of the place. It was the abandoned house that Cid, Yuffie, Leon and Aerith had claimed for themselves as a home while exiled from Hollow Bastion. She fondly remembered the time she had spent with them, even if it hadn't been all that long.

Then she wondered why she was getting so excited about this. Those old friends no longer lived here and she could only guess at its inhabitants now.

Nostalgia finally got to her though, and she couldn't resist peeking in through a curtained window to see how things looked inside the old building now. She stepped on top of an upturned crate and looked through the smoky glass. Never would she have guessed the surprise waiting for her inside.

A light glowed from within. Ah, so someone *was* staying here. She turned her head slightly to see better, and then-

Ye gods, was that Riku?!?!

She fell over right then and there, causing a large crash as she knocked a stack of cracked flowerpots off the window ceil. Lights switched on in the front hall and the door flew open, letting out of flood of bright yellow. Kairi blinked for a moment, dark spots dancing before her eyes.

"Umm...sorry about the damage." She said weakly, standing up.

A young man with silvery-blue hair and a blindfold over his eyes opened his mouth in surprise.

"Good Lord..." He breathed.

"Ha! What did I tell you?" His companion stated in triumph. This other one had pale sort of blonde hair to his shoulders and was wearing a smug smile. Kairi didn't really pay much attention to him though. Even with the cloth covering his eyes, there was no mistaking who "Blind" really was.

Riku closed his mouth very slowly before allowing it to twitch into a shadow of his old smirk.

"What took you so long, Kairi?"

Through a daze, Kairi found herself saying, "Huh? Were you expecting me?"

Riku ran a hand through his hair, the smirk falling into a sheepish smile. "It's a bit of a long story."

A very long story, from the looks of it.

"Aren't you going to invite her in, Riku?" 

Unknown asked this easily, leaning against the doorframe. Riku aimed a scowl at him, but he had already ducked inside. Kairi watched Unknown curiously, and then looked back at Riku.

"Um, sure. I'd love to come in."

###

"Sora's not here, is he?"

Riku shook his head.

"I haven't seen him since we closed the doors of Kingdom Hearts, five years ago."

"I see." 

Kairi rested her chin in hands. "I didn't think so, but I couldn't have helped but hope just a bit."

She looked across the room, studying her old friend. Riku had changed so much since she had last seen him. He appeared older, and much more mature; the years certainly had done a lot to him. Why was he wearing that blindfold?

"I'm so glad you're all right Riku. How did you escape Kingdom Hearts? What have you been doing all this time?"

Riku hesitated and Kairi wondered if she had somehow made a mistake by asking. Surely it would painful for him to dredge up those old memories.

"After the doors had been sealed, I was sure that I would never see the light again. I had felt that somehow as the doors had been sealed, my fate had been sealed as well." 

He took a deep, ragged breath before continuing. "Thank the Gods that I had been wrong."

"I don't know if you had been aware of this, but it was light from Kingdom Hearts itself that had defeated Ansem in that final battle between him and Sora, Donald, and Goofy. But the light had done more than that; it had given me a chance to regain my physical body, and escape the darkness."

"From there, I'm not really quite clear on what happened. I had been in Kingdom Hearts for a time when I caught sight of a glimmer in the darkness. It must have been some way out of that world because the next thing I knew, I was in Traverse Town. I believe that Donald's and Goofy's king must have escaped too; he disappeared soon after aiding us close the doors."

"I see." Kairi tilted her head to one side, mulling over all that she had just heard. "But why Traverse Town? I thought that after the worlds were restored, their inhabitants would be drawn back from where they had come. So according to that theory, you should have been taken back to the Destiny Islands, not here."

"Several things affected this, I think. First of all, I had been released after the walls had been restored. Second, Traverse Town isn't exactly what I'd call a 'normal' world. It works like a magnet, drawing towards it the wandering souls of the universe, and if you look beyond its walls you'll find nothing out there, nothing at all."

"Nothing? How can there just be nothing? There has to be more to this world than simply one city, no matter how large."

"There are a lot of strange things about this place and I can't claim to completely understand it. Nearly all its people, probably all its people, come from other worlds. I believe that they all have had the choice of whether or not to stay here at some point or other, and I have a feeling that this has been going on since long before the Heartless had begun to take the worlds' hearts. After the worlds had been restored, many people decided to remain; they've expanded the city, and they would account for all the renovations you probably saw on your way here."

"Yes, I was wondering about that. Everything had changed so much." 

She sighed. 

"So I guess that thing about the walls is still true, isn't it? Gummi ships are completely useless, or you would have come back, wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would have! There hasn't been a moment in which I haven't dreamed of finding you and Sora and going back home!"

He spoke so vehemently Kairi wondered how his life had been all this time.

"What have you been up to?" She inquired at length. "I can't imagine you just sitting here and doing nothing for so long."

Riku shrugged "Mostly research: on the Heartless, the worlds, the keyblades and keyholes. I wanted to know more about these, so that if ever we met our enemies again, we'd be ready to face them. I've also been trying to find out if there are any other ways to travel the worlds now that Gummi ships aren't an option."

"Any luck?"

"Sorry." He looked up and seemed to stare very intently at the key she had resting in her lap. "But that brings up some questions I've been meaning to ask you: how did you get here, Kairi? How did you come by that key?"

"Huh? Oh..."

Kairi began by explaining about the meteor, then about the key suddenly appearing in her hand, and the emergence of a door in the air.

"Why?" She asked after she had finished. "Do you know something about all this? Or something about this key?"

"Kairi, I..." Riku stopped, and then decided to continue on a different string. "...I think there's something you should know about that key. That thing isn't simply a key- that's a piece of your heart."

"What?!? How would you know?"

A piece of her heart? Was that even possible?

"How could you know if this is a piece of my heart?" She repeated, incredulity written on her features. "Unless you can see something that I can't."

"And-" She absolutely refused to put this off any longer. "Why are you wearing that blindfold Riku? What is going on? I know you're hiding something from me."

At these questions, Riku began to appear extremely uneasy and not at all willing to answer. A voice above Kairi spoke.

"I'd tell her if I were you, Riku. The sooner she knows, the better."

"You stay out of this!"

Kairi whipped her head around to look up in surprise. She had forgotten that there had even been another person in the room.

"I'm sorry; I don't think I ever found out who you were."

"He says his name is Sei." Riku said tensely. "We just met earlier this evening. I had mistaken him for Sora, because of the keyblades that he carried-"

"Keyblades?!" Kairi's expression became shocked as she stared at Sei. "But there are only two keyblades, the King's and Sora's, and I know Sora would never give his up. Not willingly."

The implications of this sunk in.

"If you have done anything to Sora... I'll...I don't know what I'll do, but I swear you'll be sorry-"

"Kairi, calm down! He hasn't done anything to Sora. At least-" At this, Riku's look became a terrible dark one. "That's what he claims. In any case, he says that he can help us find Sora."

"For his sake, I should hope so." She muttered.

Kairi sunk deeper into the sofa and closed her eyes. She felt completely drained. So much was happening...and so quickly...

~Sora...where are you?

Why did things have to be so complicated?

"You look tired, Kairi. There's a room down the hall that you could use if you want."

Kairi opened one eye to give Riku a scathing glance.

"If you think that you're slithering out of this one that easily, you have another thing coming."

Damn.

Ignoring Sei's silent laughter beside him, Riku decided to finally accept the inevitable. He carefully undid the tie at the back of his head, and slid away the cloth. Kairi looked at him for a moment, feeling half-asleep and not really attending to present matters, before her eyes shot open.

"Oh, Riku..."

Riku no longer had the beautiful, icy blue eyes she once remembered. In their place were orbs of glowing liquid amber, void of their pupils. 

"...I am so sorry..."

Riku had the eyes of a Heartless.

###

A/N: 

I have yet to see anyone explain why "Blind" of the KH Secret Trailer is wearing a blindfold, except as maybe a peculiar fashion statement or something, and have taken it upon myself to do so with this resulting. I hope you can now connect some importance to the opening paragraph of this fanfic. ;P

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter of "Into the Light". I like knowing that my work is being read and enjoyed, and would like to know if there is anything that I can do to improve my writing. As for that bit of Chrono Cross, I've always been under the opinion that if CC characters had been included in Kingdom Hearts, it would have been right there on the Destiny Islands with Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie.

I'm trying my best to tie this in as closely as I can to the KH Secret trailer. Scattered sparingly so far are at least three quotes taken directly from the trailer and of course two scenes. I'll see how many more quotes I can get into the story before its finish.

I'll get the next chapter of this up as soon as I can. In the meantime, please continue to send me feedback on what you think!


	3. Cat's Surprise

Sunlight streamed in through an open window, drawing golden bars across the bed. Kairi opened her eyes and stared outside. How long had she been asleep? She forced herself out of bed and stumbled across the floor towards a washbasin on the other side. Cold water lay inside a white jug, and she poured this into the basin, scrubbing at her face and driving away any remnants of drowsiness that might have remained.

Drying her face with a towel, she paused to look at her reflection in the liquid. For a moment, she saw only what she had expected to see: a russet-haired teenager with a mop of bed-hair. She passed a hand over the locks ruefully, and reached for a brush. The reflection shifted, and she found herself looking at someone very different but quite recognizable: a young man with long hair like silver and eyes that glowed a bright, disconcerting yellow. A drop of water fell from the edge of her face and splashed into the basin, destroying the illusion.

So Riku hadn't escaped the darkness after all. Not completely.

~I can see something that you can't- I can see the light of your heart shining from that key.

After Riku had removed his blindfold, the strangest thing had occurred. She remembered everything darkening and changing. It was if she had been looking through Riku's eyes; escaping the darkness, only to find herself surrounded by it again. Flares broke through the eternal night every so often, but quickly faded. She could hear the sounds of people living, working...

Why couldn't she see any of it?

A voice broke through the darkness.

"Kairi!"

She felt someone's hands on her shoulders, shaking her. The vision shattered and she was looking into Riku's worried face. He had covered his eyes again with the blindfold.

"Maybe this it too much for you in one night." Riku said uncertainly. "I really think you should get some sleep."

"What?" She put a hand to her face, trying to will herself back into reality. "Oh, okay."

Had she really been seeing into Riku's memories? Or had it just been a dream?

~I shouldn't worry too much about these things now- maybe this will all make more sense later

She dressed and left her room, vague thoughts concerning things like breakfast and finding the kitchen now becoming predominant in her mind. Riku wasn't there when she arrived, or in the living room for that matter but Sei was. He was staring outside into the blue sky, leaning on the back of a chair. The light through the glass panes danced in the faint, buttery highlights of his hair and on the smooth skin of his face. Sitting there, he looked somehow familiar. She wondered if she had seen him before, somewhere in Traverse Town or perhaps another world. He was very thin, she noted, with prominent cheekbones displayed beneath eyes like shining bits of amber. His eyes were starkly set on a pale face, just the slightest honey-tone in his skin to suggest the potential for a brilliant tan.

He turned to face her, the movement causing any signs of familiarity to vanish. He smiled faintly and said, "Riku told me tell you that he'd back in a little while- probably a half hour at most. There's cereal in that cupboard if you want any, and bowls in the shelf next to that. Spoons are in the drawer to the left of the sink."

Kairi nodded her thanks, and began rummaging in the indicated places for something edible. The only sounds in the room became that of the closing and shutting of drawers, and then the clink of cereal and milk into a ceramic bowl. She settled into a chair on the other side of the table from Sei.

"So, who are you really?" Kairi asked after the first few bites. Sei looked at her blankly for a few moments before she clarified herself. "I know your name, or your alleged name anyway, but who are you?"

Sei didn't react immediately. Then he shrugged.

"No one of consequence."

Crunch. Crunch. She was suddenly aware of how loud one could sound when eating.

"I'm just someone...someone searching for their light."

Crunch. Trust him to be so completely obscure.

"Your light?" She asked. "A person?"

"I...don't know. Maybe."

She thought his answer strange, but didn't say that. The sound of the front door opening ended their short conversation, and they both looked up as Riku entered the room.

"Good morning Kairi. Sei. Has everything been going okay here?"

What he really meant of course was "did Sei cause any trouble for you?"

"Everything was fine." She took the empty bowl to the sink. "Where have you been, by the way?"

Riku sat down at the table.

"Checking out some places that I hope may be our way off this world."

"Way off? How?"

Gummi ships were out of the question. What could Riku have found that would help them?

"It has to do with your heart, Kairi." 

Kairi was surprised to see that it was Sei that spoke this time.

"There is a lot more to the Princesses of Heart than anyone had guessed. Together, their hearts form the keyblade to open the Keyhole to darkness. Apart, these maidens hold lesser magics of the heart, although they are not unimportant or powerful in their own rites by any means."

"One power was made obvious when you summoned up a key and made your way across the worlds to Traverse Town. That key is nothing more than a physical extension of your heart, with capabilities as both a weapon and as a means of channeling the power of one's heart to travel the worlds."

"But it's not that simple, is it?" Kairi asked, then clarified. "To world travel I mean."

Sei shook his head. "Of course it isn't. The walls dividing the worlds are still up and there's not much we can do about that. However, they are seriously weakened; you can see that by the darkness that is slowly beginning to creep back upon the worlds. One world has already succumbed to its power; a meteor shower appeared in the sky just yesterday."

"However, you, as a Princess of Heart, can use specific weak points in the walls to get through. Traverse Town is connected to all the worlds simultaneously; as a result, we will be able to get to all those worlds if we need to."

"How can we find these weak points? What do they look like?"

"This is where Riku becomes important. We had been discussing that just before you arrived, and then more this morning. With the eyes of a Heartless, Riku can see faint glimmers where the walls are weakened. You should be able to use these 'glimmers' to our advantage. I knew you would come here after Riku described you to me; it would only be a matter of time."

Kairi recalled the first words that Riku had uttered upon their meeting last night.

~What took you so long Kairi?

"So that's what Riku meant!" She suddenly blurted.

Riku looked confused by this outburst. 

"What?"

She flushed in embarrassment. "Oh, uh, never mind."

"So where is our first door?" Sei asked.

"I found one located at the back of a flower garden just a few blocks from here."

"Wait a minute," she interrupted. "How do you know where these doors are going to lead? We could end up anywhere..."

"We'll just have to take a chance now, won't we? Besides, where's your sense of adventure?"

Kairi shook her head in exasperation. "I just hope you don't end up killing us with your 'sense of adventure'."

Riku merely grinned in reply, plucking an apple from off the table, and waiting for her to finish her bowl as she ate. Before they set off however, Kairi asked to rummage through Riku's closet for something suitable to wear. As she had pointed out, her skirts were certainly good enough for island living, but probably very impractical for whatever world traveling they would be doing. Until she had more time (and more Munny) to spend on shopping, any of Riku's old clothes would have to do. Most of his stuff was a little large for her, but she finally settled on a pair of jeans and a large white t-shirt with dark blue bands around the sleeves and collar.

"Look, I don't care how silly you think I look." Kairi cast a vague frown at Sei, who was watching her from behind as she tied back her hair with a black elastic band. "But I refuse to wear a skirt when we might end up trooping through a jungle or something. It'd be stupid, not to mention senseless."

"I wasn't going to say anything about that (although that shirt *does* look a size too big on you). Actually, I had been wondering if you were planning on just wearing your other clothes."

Kairi eyed her reflection in the mirror critically, brushing back a stray strand of hair behind her ear with a careless sweep of her hand

"There was still mud on them from yesterday anyway."

"Ah."

Riku was already ready and waiting for them. They left as soon as Kairi was done.

Traverse Town looked very different in the bright spark of day's light. The buildings she had seen the night before, the newer editions to the city, had lost some of their cold atmosphere; reaching towards the sky, constructed of metal, glass, and concrete, at least their faces were no longer overshadowed by the gloom of the night and the artificial glow of electric light. That there were more people populating the streets than then at that earlier hour helped some as well. Kairi found that it was a lot easier now to make out old landmarks that had made Traverse Town familiar to her in that first time that she had been there.

It did not take long for them to reach the place that Riku had referred to. They stood out in front of a homely three-story brick house with black tiled roof and curling iron grating around its windows. A bright peeking of color could be seen off to the side and behind the building where Kairi supposed were the garden and the opening to another world. 

"I'm not sure that this building's owner is going to appreciate our trespassing." 

She watched as her two companions unlatched a wire gate to the side of the house and entered the enclosed area.

"Oh, I wouldn't doubt that." Sei held the gate open for her as she slipped past him. "But we shouldn't be here long. Besides, this is for the welfare of the people of the worlds; they should be grateful that we're risking our necks to save them from the Heartless."

She didn't look completely assured but followed them in quickly. Riku was busily examining the empty space behind a decrepit stone fountain and some rows of tulips.

"So where is it?" Kairi asked.

"You don't see the flicker in the air?"

She shook her head. "Sorry."

Riku placed his hand over the space.

"See what you can make of this."

Kairi still couldn't see anything, even as her heartkey appeared in her hand. She tried closing her eyes and clearing her mind, opening it to their surroundings...

"...there!"

A white light shot from the end of her key and forced a gap between the worlds to show itself. Its appearance was exactly the same as the door she had seen in the Destiny Islands. 

"Are you ready Kairi?" Riku asked after a moment. "Sei?"

Kairi shook off her surprise at what had just occurred and walked past both of them through the door. 

And fell. 

Although, to tell the truth, the falling didn't feel normal. She felt she would have screamed had this been a normal drop-the height that she was at was no joke. As it was, her descent was slowed down in a way that she knew that when she hit the bottom she wasn't going to end up hurting herself. The things that she passed on her way down were peculiar: clocks, framed pictures, and various pieces of furniture, hanging on the walls or floating around her...Kairi almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. What had she gotten herself into?

She landed safely on the tiled floor, and watched as Riku and Sei settled after her. Riku regarded the area with recognition.

"I know this place. It's a bizarre world, really, where Maleficent had captured Alice. It's known as Wonderland."

Kairi examined an ornately decorated timepiece on the wall (it seemed to be broken) before turning her head to look back at Riku.

"So co you think that we'll find anything here?"

She saw that the silver-haired youth had already begun to lose interest in the room and was proceeding forward.

"Haven't a clue," he admitted. "You never know what will turn up around here."

They walked through the hall and towards a round door at the other end. Sei opened it, only to find another behind it. The blonde-haired started, before opening this new door to find another. And another, and another...each was smaller than the last, and of a different color and design.

"Wonderland, huh?" Sei asked.

Riku smirked at Sei's mounting irritation. "As I had said before, this world isn't exactly what you would call 'normal'."

"Go figure." Sei pried open (finally!) the last door. "Our first world and it's a complete loony bin."

They ducked through the opening into another room. This one might have passed off as ordinary, if not for the even smaller door at the other end with a snoring face for a doorknob.

"Don't even try it," Riku advised when Kairi leaned down for a better look.

"I can tell you right now that it won't wake up for anything or anyone."

He scanned the room, racking his memory. His gaze stopped on Sei perched on the side of a small bed, humming a little tune under his breath.

"Sei, could you push that bed aside?"

Sei nodded and did as Riku had asked, still humming. His actions revealed another exit that had been formerly hidden. 

Kairi felt obliged to point out the obvious.

"It's a bit...small."

"I know." Riku went over to a table in the center of the room, reading the labels on two small bottles. He picked one up, shaking it slightly and smiling in satisfaction at what he felt. "Looks like there is still some left."

"Riku, what are you-"

She trailed off as Riku took a sip of the contents in one of the bottles, and began to shrink.

"Riku!"

He stopped when about the size of a small doll.

"Don't worry. All this stuff does is change your size, and you'll have to if you want to get any farther."

Sei picked up one of the bottles, undeterred by any possible side effects of drinking unknown substances in the dubbed 'loony bin'.

"Was it this one, Riku?"

"Yes; the other one makes you larger."

Kairi watched dubiously as Sei took a swallow, and then picked up the bottle herself. There was very little left and she downed the amount quickly. Everything rushed *up* with a sudden whoosh. She shut her eyes against a wave of dizziness, and then slowly opened them again when all movement had halted. 

"Nothing looks quite the same, down here does it?" Sei asked in amusement as Kairi joined them.

Kairi nodded. "I hope we don't have to stay here long-this is just too weird. 

She licked her upper lip, still tasting the liquid's sweet, vaguely cherry flavor.

"What's our first goal?"

Riku glanced back to make sure Kairi and Sei weren't too far behind. 

"It's probably a good idea to see if we can find Alice; as a Princess of Heart and acquaintance of Sora's, she might know something."

Bright light met them outside, and then they were facing two paths. One led to a rose garden and spacious courtyard, in which several bodies could be seen moving about. The other had a sign that indicated its path led to the "Lotus Forest". Kairi looked up at Riku, taking note of his hesitancy in choosing their next course.

"Someone in the court of the Queen of Hearts may know where she is. But-"

"But...?"

"The Queen of Hearts is a very unpleasant and unreasonable woman. I'd rather that we not get ourselves mixed up with her if we can help it."

Despite Riku's warning, Kairi was already looking past the hedge walls into the garden.

"She can't possible be all that bad."

"You'd be surprised at some of the people who live here." 

It was finally decided that they seek help from someone within the court, regardless of any of Riku's misgivings.

A motley collection of Wonderland's residents had begun to gather in the open yard, milling about in conversation or taking seats in elevated stands that had been set up on the sidelines. Only one or two humans were present-the majority of Wonderland's locals were comprised of animal-types in clothing, with some others that probably could have been categorized as 'other'. Rows of black and red people/playing cards stood at ready with spears to uphold whatever it was that passed for order in their peculiar world. Upon entering the area, the trio passed several lines of newly planted rose trees. If inspected, one would find that half the blossoms were a silky white. The other half had been sloppily painted red, the wet ink even occasionally dripping onto the clipped lawn.

"I wonder what's going on?" Kairi asked, half to herself.

Riku appeared unperturbed by the activities taking place.

"Another of her court trials it looks like, probably over some trivial annoyance of hers."

"Then I don't suppose we should stay very long then, should we?" Sei remarked. "I haven't heard very positive things about these so-called trials."

A white rabbit paced in agitation near where they stood, pausing only a few times to take out a gold pocket-watch from his vest and peer at the time, muttering all the while about "being late."

"Excuse me sir," Sei had taken the liberty of closing the gap between himself and the albino animal. "But my friends and I were wondering if you might know the current whereabouts of a girl name Alice?"

The rabbit blinked, his hand still clasped on a watch that was dangling half-in and half-out of his vest-pocket.

"Alice? There aren't any Alices here." 

He paused, and then seemed to think it over again. "Then again...I believe there has been someone like that description... one rude little girl that we had on trial some years ago for trying to steal the queen's heart. I think her name was Alice, but we haven't seen her since that whole mess."

Trumpets blared in herald of a new arrival, and the rabbit looked past Sei at someone towards the front of the yard.

"Of dear! Now if you will excuse me-"

The rabbit ran past Sei, and could be heard yelling as he ran past the card-soldiers.

"All stand and hail... the Queen of Hearts!"

The three young outsiders turned their eyes to where the court proceedings were beginning to take place. A large woman in red, black and white colors was taking her seat while graciously waving to the cheers and whistles from the crowd. More easily missed was her dwarfish husband, standing at her side on the top of his seat.

"...and the king."

The latter was received with noticeably less applause.

Kairi felt a hand on hers as the two royals sat down, and order was called for in the court.

"We'd better get going." Riku whispered. Kairi nodded and followed him outside back onto the path. Sei was waiting for them, forming some passes with his keyblades. His expression was wry when their eyes met.

"Well that was a waste of time." 

Sei set down Oathkeeper and leaned on its slender white length. 

"Are you planning to continue?" He gestured with one hand back towards the court as he continued to speak.

"That rabbit is a very well-informed citizen of this world's news. I doubt there are many others that could tell us anything new."

Riku looked noncommittal as he listened to Sei. 

"Perhaps..."he agreed, "and perhaps not. I think, that as long as we're here we should make sure that we've covered everything and everyone. What about you Kairi?" Riku asked, startling the girl. "What do you want to next?"

Kairi bit her lip. "I agree, and say we keep going, even if for just a little bit longer."

She turned a questioning glance towards Sei as she finished. Sei had only an amused expression on his face as he picked Oathkeeper up from the earth, the weapon disappearing in a trail of glittering light. Oblivion followed after its twin in a fan of dusky smoke.

"Then it's settled," Riku concluded. 

The three set down the path among the massive plants of the Lotus Forest. 

"I had forgotten that we had even changed size after we had seen the people of the court."

Kairi spoke these words as she looked up the leafy green canopy that now seemed to make up the sky. The trees had become larger than even any of the buildings of Traverse Town, with even the grass and the toadstools that stuck up from the earth dwarfing them.

"But now...I feel like a bug. Any minute now a giant foot is going to come plunging out nowhere and then-"

She trailed off expressively, still looking up. Then she turned her gaze back to the ground level and Sei, who was walking just a little behind her. 

"I'm sorry," she said with a laugh. "That comment wasn't helping things much was it?"

Sei smiled, and his reply was teasing. 

"That's true. Are you're thoughts always this pleasant? If that's the case, I'd like to hear what you have to tell us if we ever got stuck inside Monstro."

Kairi considered this. "I don't think that's going happen with the way we're going to be world-traveling." She paused, and then added with feeling, "at least, I hope so."

"It's not," Riku commented upon joining the conversation, "an experience you'd find pleasant, I'm sure."

Kairi looked at the older teen thoughtfully. 

"That's right, you were in there once, weren't you? So, what had it been like?"

Riku shrugged.

"It stank, for one thing. It was slimy and wet (and not just from sea-water). The walls were composed of living flesh that moved, with often dark veins just beneath the surface of the clear membranes with red and blue blood running through them, and-"

"-and it sounds like it was really gross." Kairi abruptly finished for him, making a face. "All right Riku, I get your point. I think that's more then enough for me now."

"Are you sure?" Riku asked in a mild tone.

"Yes!" She exclaimed with vigor.

That having been said, the conversation soon shifted to far more pleasant subjects.

They'd travel in the Lotus Forest for some time, passing oddity after oddity, before coming upon anyone else of any help. It wasn't quite so strange then, when this person first introduced himself as an unseen voice from the trees.

"Going somewhere, young other-worlders?"

An eerie smile appeared in the air, followed by spiraling purple strips and the face and body of a cat.

"The Cheshire cat." Riku said with derision. "What a surprise to see you here."

"Only so much surprise as to see one scarred by the Heartless, yet still living as a human."

The cat disappeared from its perch on the trees, and reappeared on a tree stump in front of them.

"You won't find who you are looking for here." It said, lying on its belly with a demure little smile.

"How would you know who we were looking for?" Riku demanded.

The cat eluded the question.

"Often, the things you seek are hidden where you least expect them to be: right beneath your very noses." He cast a glance at Sei, then added. "As for you, bearer of the keyblades, I suspect he will be calling for one of those you hold very soon."

Sei appeared somewhat surprised and confused, but also relieved.

"That is all I have to say. To the four of you, good fortune on your journeys." Having bid them farewell, the cat vanished.

"What did he mean by the four of us?" Kairi wondered out loud. "Do you suppose that he meant we will find Sora soon?"

Riku was still nettled by the cat's sudden appearance. "Come on; let's go before anyone else decides to surprise us by showing up."

"You're going to listen to what he said? About Sora not being here?" 

"That cat may be a pain, but I've never know him to lie. At least not about things of this importance."

"Are you sure?" Kairi asked.

"Absolutely," Riku replied with assurance.

They turned back and began to walk out of the Lotus Forest. Kairi's mind kept wondering back to the words the cat had spoken.

~ Often, the things you seek are hidden where you least expect them to be... I suspect he will be calling for one of those you hold very soon.


	4. Those Days the Wind Blew By

They didn't meet with any new problems as they left the Lotus Forest, whatever Riku might have thought. In fact, it didn't seem that they would encounter anything else that might complicate things, at least that day. Kairi wasn't altogether confidant of her ability to fight Heartless or whatnot. She was sort of hoping for some time before they met their first noteworthy opponent in which she could prepare, maybe have Riku help her train with a weapon.

The Fates must have been laughing at her.

The first indication of trouble had been obvious the moment they stepped from the glimmer- inky black shadows had begun to pool themselves on the ground, solidifying into the distinct forms of Heartless. Their steel claws clicked together, faint hisses issuing from their mouths as they began to advance forward. Kairi felt her blood run cold.

Riku swore and drew out a long, curved blade. Sei followed suite with his dual keyblades.

"Stay behind us Kairi!" Riku warned.

Several Heartless launched themselves at Sei; the dual-blade wielder sliced through the creatures with what was obviously practiced ease, and then ran forward to plow through the growing onslaught. Riku did the same, laying precise and deadly blows on those that attempted to pit themselves against him. Kairi had her hand in helping too; she was not going to allow herself to simply sit back and watch, ready or not.

"Firaga!"

A blast of fire issued from her wand, dissipating a larger gathering of Heartless. She bashed another one on top of its head as it clawed at her heels and then followed Riku and Sei as they pushed their way through the masses. Even as they ran, many more Heartless kept growing from the shadows, threatening to overwhelm them. And it looked like they would, if something wasn't done soon.

"What are we doing?" Kari gasped at Riku's side. "There are too many of them; we can't beat them all!"

"I don't intend to!" Riku yelled back.

There was a blur of light and a metallic whistle as Riku brought his blade down on several more Heartless.

"The Heartless-they have to be coming-from somewhere-right?"

"Thundaga!"

Kairi cast another spell, bolts of electricity falling from the heavens onto several more Heartless.

"Someplace that wasn't open before, or else we would have known-"

He gritted his teeth against the collision of his sword against a heavily armored Heartless.

"We have to find it-and a way to seal it."

They plunged forward. Soon, a District Gate could be seen looking before them and they ran through these, pulling the doors closed behind them; perhaps it would buy them a little time to finish this. The thumps of Heartless bodies and the scrape of their sharp claws on the wood were the last sounds they heard as they again proceeded.

It was in front of the accessory shop that they saw the door the Heartless had been using. It was completely different from the one the three had just used to enter Wonderland- this one appeared almost a shard of the Heartless insigne floating in the air. Riku was right; this was something that had only just appeared recently. What had caused its appearance?

"All right, Sei; let's see you seal this up."

Theoretically, it should have worked-Sei should have been able to use the keyblade to seal the break into the world of the Heartless. There was, of course, only one problem with the execution of that theory:

Sei was gone.

"Sei!" Kairi called, hoping that maybe Sei would respond from wherever he was. She put her hands down when there was no answer.

"I don't remember us getting separated with him." She said doubtfully.

Riku, on the other hand, was feeling less charitably towards Sei.

"Damn him!" Riku muttered under his breath. "Just when we needed someone with a pair of keyblades-"

He stopped when he realized that something was moving from inside the fissure. A fanged snout protruded from the break, the body inside writhing and squirming, and then a pair of glowing yellow eyes. Riku had barely any time to take this in when the Heartless finally emerged fully from its world; it appeared to be something like a snake, with plate upon plate of metallic armor and rows of shiny spikes all across its back and body. It took a moment study its situation; then it struck.

Riku quickly deflected the attack with his sword, a sound of metal bouncing on metal echoing from the crash. The sword acquired a serious crack through its blade as a result of this; the Heartless seemed not to have taken the least bit of damage on its resistant plates.

It rounded on Kairi, the human it viewed as the easier pray. Shards of needle-sharp ice flew at its face from a Blizzaga, most of which it simple brushed off. One managed to nick it in the eye; the Heartless screamed in fury before lunging at Kairi. She slid across the ground on her side from, the force of the blow but didn't seem harmed any farther than being somewhat bruised and scraped. The Heartless snapped its jaws, ready to devour the girl's heart.

"Kairi!!" 

Riku threw himself at the Heartless, slashing at it with his ruined weapon.  The Heartless raised its long tail and struck Riku away without even bothering to turn its head. Riku slammed against the concrete, tasting blood.

He had done a lot of stupid things in his past because of his own ignorance and selfishness, but he'd sworn he'd make amends for it all.

~I'm not going to allow any Heartless to take away one of the most important people to me

He stood up, determined to keep trying to fight the Heartless.

~I'll protect my friends...no matter what happens to me

There was a flare of blinding, ribboned light. A familiar, cool weight dropped into Riku's hand. 

He didn't stop to think and dashed forward with a fierce battle cry. The keyblade struck the black scales, shattering them like glass. Riku cut through the Heartless with another sweep, the creature vanishing in a swirl of smoky tendrils.

The opening still remained in the air, pulsing with a dark light. Riku raised his keyblade, and bands of white, gray, and black light were released form the key's tip, lacing over the hole in an elaborate net before completely sealing it over. With the door had been closed, Riku turned around to make sure that Kairi was okay. She was still on the ground, watching him a mix of surprise and wonder. He smiled weakly at her, leaning on his keyblade as a crutch.

~This is...unbelievable...

Then he passed out. Sei stood behind Kairi, holding a white keyblade over his shoulder. Kairi rushed forward with a cry when she saw Riku hit the floor. A shadow passed over her as Sei followed, kneeling down to lift Riku from the ground.

"He'll be fine...just help me with him on the other side."

Kairi didn't question Sei's sudden appearance, or the unworried loss of one of his keyblades, but hurried to help him with Riku's unconscious body. Together, they made their way through Traverse Town's quiet streets.

###

"You knew."

Those were the first words out or Riku's mouth when he woke up. 

Sei was leaning on the bedpost without a hint of surprise at the statement. They were back at the house in Third District, a few hours after the fight against the Heartless. Since then, the seemingly endless sea of Heartless had disappeared, presumably pulled back to their own world.

"You knew all along that that was going to happen." Riku paused for breath.

"And that stupid cat knew, too."

He let his head fall back into the pillow.

"So why didn't you tell me? Or, at least give me the keyblade in the first place so that I wouldn't have had to go through all that trouble."

Sei shook his head.

"It doesn't work that way. The keyblade would not have gone to you unless you had summoned it, unless you had proven that your heart had the strength worthy to wield it. The day you thought you had lost your keyblade to Sora, it hadn't ended with just that; you were still a keyblade bearer, no matter what it had seemed."

He inclined his head slightly to see Riku's reaction to this, than laughed.

"In any case, you got it in the end, right?" 

Sei straightened and walked out towards the hall.

"Kairi made soup in the kitchen; when you're feeling better, come down and join us."

Riku nodded as the figure disappeared, then looked down at the dark keyblade he held in his hand.

Still a keybearer? He was surprised the thing had still considered him worthy of even touching it. But, perhaps this was the way he'd be able to atone for all his past wrongs. Perhaps this was the method that had been chosen for him to seek his absolution.

~I'll make it up to you Sora...Kairi...for all the terrible things I did

He close his eyes

~I promise

###

(Excerpts from the journal of Kairi, Princess of Heart and resident of the Destiny Island Archipelago):

Seed Moon

Third Day

9:00 PM

Sometimes, as I was sitting at home on the beach of the Destiny Islands, I began to feel a doubt about all our adventures. 

Five years is a long time, you know? It's only natural for memories to fade, and it was hard for me to hang onto to what I knew to be the truth about Sora's and Riku's so-called "disappearance." It wasn't I could talk to anyone about it. I mean, who'd honestly believe my fairy-tales about princesses and key blades and keyholes, especially without any real evidence? They probably would have called me crazy, and told me to let go of those weird delusions. They would have told me that that I'd have to face reality, and that Sora and Riku were never coming back. To them, Sora and Riku were as good as dead.

But it would have been the absolute most horrible thing for me to do, letting go of that hope I knew existed. How could I just let go of the truth, when it was the only thing assuring me that my two best friends in the universe were still alive out there somewhere? Of course I wouldn't let it all go. But sometimes... it became very hard for me to remember, especially without anyone or anything in the world to tell me that I wasn't making it all up. Everything became faded: places, people, even Sora... in the beginning, I would get so frustrated with myself for forgetting even the littlest details about him. I had been afraid that I'd eventually lose him entirely.

So now that it seems that all those old troubles with the Heartless are surfacing again, I want to keep a journal of what's happening, here with Riku and Sei. I want to write down everything, so that someday I can look back on all this and say yes, this really happened; Traverse Town, the worlds, even the Heartless and the darkness...I don't want to blot out any part of my life.

After the whole mess in Traverse Town with the Heartless, we continued to work together to search for Sora. Interestingly enough, many of the worlds that we traveled to seemed to have had Sora as a visitor at one time or other. But when we asked them about this, everyone had the same answer for us: 

"A strange kid with a giant key? Traveling with a dog and a duck? They haven't been seen around here in years." 

But I'm not giving up. Sora's out there somewhere, and I'm going to find him.

One of the first worlds that we went to was an island literally in a sea in the sky. Its residents call it Never Land. The people who live there can be strange sometimes, but I'm glad that at least it was nothing close to the flat-out weirdness of Wonderland! 

###

The glimmer had been spotted near the swing sets of the playground in Napple Park. Barely a day had passed since the incident with the Heartless and Riku receiving his keyblade, but the young man had insisted they he was well enough for them to start their next expedition to another world. 

Sei was little help in Kairi's protest against Riku's intentions.

"It's a good idea, I think, for us to continue as soon as possible." Sei said slowly. "And I would have to agree with Riku in regards to his health; the time he has had to rest was probably more than enough to regain his energy. If he feels ready to begin, I'm sure he that he is."

Kairi argued but was finally forced to give in, but on the grounds that Riku promise not to push himself to hard if they were to come against any more battles with the Heartless.

Their eyes were met with a golden blaze of sun set above a perfect blue sky in their new world. It was one of those clear, fresh days, the ones in which the moment the clean air hit your skin you just had to smile-it just felt so good. Kairi breathed in deeply before looking around at their surroundings. She stood at the very edge of a wide field covered in high yellow grass. Behind her was an expanse of lush forest.

The light of day had its other effects too. Riku staggered forward as his foot hit a thick tree root, his vision considerably less clear than just a moment before. It was annoying, having such backwards sight; made things a lot more difficult than they had to be. A male voice spoke beside him.

"Need any help?"

Riku brushed away Sei's extended hand.

"I'm fine," he muttered. "I just need a moment for my eyes to adjust."

Sei seriously doubted that it was as simple as that, but left Riku alone, understanding that the blind young man wouldn't be admitting that any time soon.

They decided to take a path across the clearing and through the woods on the other side. In a wilderness such as this, there was really nothing that they could do except rely at first on guesswork and luck. They had barely taken a step from the end of the woods forest it happened. The distinct sound of twigs and rope snapping was what alerted the travelers. Kairi was the last to realize, only noticing when she saw Sei's eyes widening in surprise.

Riku swore softly under his breath, uttering their last words before the ground heaved up from beneath them, and they were suspended within a net hanging from the trees. Unfamiliar, childish voices shrieking in triumph from the ground level. 

"Yeah, we caught 'em!"

Hands clapped against hands and feet stomped the ground in a victory dance.

"Woohooo!!!"

"Lost Boys rule!"

In the meantime, the trio was feeling considerably less comfortable. Kairi was squished against Sei's side and shoulder, and had Riku's elbow digging into her ribs. 

"This is certainly pleasant...," she murmured.

She could feel the older boy wriggling beside her, groping for a knife in his pocket.

"I can't see how high up from the ground we are, so I suggest you both try to hold on to something when I cut through-"

Kairi grabbed a handful of cloth netting in both hands, as her did friends the same. The malleable bottom of the net abruptly dropped away, leaving her legs to swing freely in the air. Impulsively, she let go, and hit the earth on her bottom. 

"Ouchie..." She hissed with a wince.

Riku and Sei had landed far more gracefully than she had, and she accepted Sei's help standing up when he offered it.

"Ouchie?" Sei questioned, humor in his voice.

Kairi glowered.

"Oh shut up."

All of the new arrivals were young boys of varying ages under twelve. The older ones watched the trio with suspicion, while some of the others had raised their eyes to look at the ripped net remorsefully.

"Awww, you ruined our Indian-trap," a boy in a raccoon costume muttered with a scowl.

His twin frowned at them accusingly. 

"Don't you know better than to get caught in traps for other people? It isn't very considerate." 

A fox-suited boy nodded in agreement.

"Now we have to make a new one, and that one took *ages*" he whined.

Riku lip curled slightly on one side while Kairi grinned, hiding her smile behind one hand. Sei was holding back silent laughter. 

Obviously, these children took themselves very seriously.

Slightly (fox-suit) considered the older foreigners with a wary look.

"So. Who are you guys anyway?"

###

The Lost Boys didn't seem to have much interest in otherworlds or anything like that when we explained who were, but they were happy enough to take us to the leader Peter Pan when Riku inquired about him. One of the boys asked me if I had come to be their new mother(?!?) They said that the girl Wendy had been their old mother, but she had left Never Land many years ago to "grow-up."

Peter Pan turned out to be a cocky twelve-year old boy dressed in green who obviously thought the world of himself. A delicate blond pixie named Tinker Bell was his companion, a lady with as much conceited arrogance as her partner, if in her own fey-ish sort of way. 

Peter knew the most about Sora, having allied himself with him to save Wendy from the pirate Captain Hook. However, he hadn't heard from Sora or of the Heartless since the locking of the keyhole at London's clock tower. On another note, Captain Hook still roamed the surrounding waters with his crew, although Peter didn't look too concerned about that.

Riku seemed to have a way with the kids too, although it wasn't something that he had been actively trying at. I guess this has something to with the way everyone had always looked up to him back at the Destiny Islands. There had always been a strength and self-assurance to him that had not been taken away, even by these past several years. He couldn't stand aloof from these rowdy, fun loving kids and their requests for him to join in their play for very long. Sei played with them too. Those Lost Boys were completely wild (just like the animals they dressed up as,) but I think it did both Riku and Sei a lot of good just to hang loose, let go of their tensions, and have a bit of fun.

But more than that, for Riku at least, I think all of this was helping him to remember something of our old lives, before the Heartless, when we were young without any real concerns for the world. Maybe that's the kind of effect this island has on people-I began to feel at ease almost at once, like our problems would finally come to and end and maybe everything would turn out okay. 

###

The hidden base of Lost Boy activity was located not too far from the field. Their home had been built into and underneath a hollow dead tree, where cleverly concealed openings led into their various underground living quarters. Peter Pan had perched himself at the top, playing a set of reed pipes while below his followers occupied themselves with a game of tag. Kairi sat on lower tree-branch, cheering the boys on from the sidelines. The odds were currently stacked against the two oldest boys though.

Riku (currently "it") pretended to become annoyed as a pudgy, bearskin dressed boy floated out of reach.

"That's not fair!" He protested, making a half-hearted swipe at him.

"Why not?" Cubby did a clumsy flip in the air to turn back towards Riku. "No one said anything about rules against flying."

Slightly swooped down from the sky in a dive.

"Riku can't fly, remember?" He feigned some backstrokes in the air as he glided past Riku, sticking his tongue out at the youth when Riku made a grab at him.

"Nyah, nyah, can't catch me."

Behind Kairi, Sei climbed the branches of the tree towards the top where Peter Pan and Tinker Bell were sitting.

"How are you guys flying anyway?" Kairi asked.

"Pixie dust...and belief, I'd imagine." 

Sei rested his arms on the second to uppermost branches, looking at Tinker Bell who was watching back with prim superiority. "Isn't that right, Miss?"

She said something in her fey tongue, and Peter Pan laughed at her words.

"Oh come on, Tink; Let's be nice, okay? Show them how we really have fun here in Never Land!"

Tinker Bell made as if thinking it over, before fluttering up into the air and sprinkling Sei with her golden dust. Next to follow was Kairi, then Riku. Sei jumped from the branch he was perched on. His body dipped down unsteadily for a few moments, but he soon could hold himself firmly in the air. Kairi clapped and the Lost Boys cheered enthusiastically.

"See?" Peter Pan flew beside Sei. "That wasn't hard at all."

Cubby looked away from Sei towards Riku on the ground. It wasn't hard to imagine the gleam of mischief enter Riku's eyes. He gulped.

"Uh, oh-"

Riku lunged towards him with a laugh.

"You won't be getting away from me this time!"

The remaining lost boys shot after them up into the air, leaving Kairi the last one on the ground. They called down to him in encouragement.

"Come on Kairi!"

"Yah, have some fun with us Kairi!"

Watching them all, she remembered the stories that Sora had told her of his own adventures in Never Land, and his first experience with flying. They had been sitting outside, beside the fountain in Third District underneath the night sky. This had only been just after she had been rescued from Hallow Bastion.

~You should have seen me Kairi-it was so amazing! It was as if nothing would ever be able to hold me down again! But I wouldn't blame you if you didn't believe me. 

His smiled turned childishly sheepish.

~It does seem a little hard to believe, doesn't it? But I promise I'll take you there someday, and we can both fly together!

Kairi sighed wistfully at the memory as she floated towards the sky.

###

We were taken on a tour of the island before we left. It was wonderful, just flying above the trees and taking in the sites of the woods and jungles, waterfalls and ocean lying before us. I don't think I'll ever forget that experience of flying.

And then we came upon the pirates. Peter wanted to go down and have a bit of fun bothering them, but Riku made it clear that for the rest of us (him, me, and Sei), it'd be preferred that we avoid too much in trouble. In the end, he didn't have much choice in the matter-the pirates began firing cannonballs at us as soon as we were spotted. Peter seemed to have a lot of fun then, jeering and shouting at the pirates as their missiles shot harmlessly past us.

Later, after stopping at the Indian encampment, Peter took us down to the lagoons and beaches on the other side of the island for swimming. 

Poor Sei tanned so quickly-and then got sunburned. He ended up having to sit out the rest of the day in the shade, but he took it all in good nature. I went over to sit with and watch the sunset from beneath the palm trees.

Sei told me about the very nature of this world: he said that it was called Never Land, because it was a world that would never change. The innocence of childhood was forever preserved, as well as the ideals of the straight-cut black and white world: good is good and bad is bad, with nothing to complicate things any further.

I asked him what he thought about all that.

"Does this ideal hold true with the real world? Is there a clearly identified evil and darkness, as well as light and goodness?"

I hadn't really known what to expect from his answer, and was really only joking around. But he replied very seriously.

"I can't say for sure, though I might have claimed to be able once." He answered. There had been a shadow in his amber eyes as he stared across the sand and water.

"There is still so much of the world that we don't know. There is still so much we don't understand."

I guess that all makes sense, but I keep having this feeling that there's more to it than what he's saying. I questioned him on that, but he slithered out of answering it. I hate it when he gets all enigmatic like that.

Seed Moon

Sixth Day

8:15 PM

Halloween Town had been another of the worlds, one that had definitely not been one of my favorites. That place just has this spooky atmosphere that I can't handle, from the harsh design of the buildings, to the eerie black and purple sky, to even the people themselves. Don't get me wrong; a lot of them are nice, like Sora's old friends Jack Skellington and Sally but let's face it-everything anyone does around here is based on the theme of fear. 

I'd have to say, though, that my favorite part about the whole thing would have been dressing up so that we could blend in with all the locals without drawing too much attention. It turns out that Halloween is actually a theme for a holiday celebrated on many worlds, and one the major elements of it is dressing in dark costumes. I guess I might have enjoyed doing that a little *too* much...even Riku commented on the sensibility of spending so much time on an outfit I probably was only going to wear once. On the other hand, I thing Riku could have cared less about the entire masquerade. 

Hmph, at least Sei seemed to enjoy it; I helped him with his costume and he went as a vampire. He teased Riku, saying that he should have fun with the project for what it was worth.

Seed Moon

Twentieth Day

8:01 AM

We'd arrive in another world just in time for a wedding between a young princess named Ariel and a prince named Eric. Ariel turned out to be another of Sora's allies and had been, until recently, a noble-born mermaid from the underwater kingdom of Atlantica. She was now human, and the story leading up to that unusual transformation had been an interesting one: 

Ariel had rescued the prince from drowning at sea and had fallen in love with him. However, any relationships between a human and a mermaid were strictly forbidden, and the magnitude of Ariel's crime was heightened when in consideration of her status and her overly protective father. 

But in a fit of teenage rebellion, she had attempted to undermine her father's wishes when she found some spells that would change her human for limited periods of time. At night, she'd secretly meet Eric under the pretenses of being a human as well. Yet secrets like these don't tend to stay secret for long; her father had wanted to find out where she kept disappearing to, and so had Eric. Things would eventually work out though for all of them though.

The wedding itself had been quite lovely. The two royals got married on a ship at sea, with humans on deck and mer-people watching from the waves (and this was not to mention the animals). The ceremony was ended with a rainbow cast from the mer-king's triton over the ship. A little clichéd for my tastes, but I guess it was all right for those who like that sort of thing.

Then after that was Agrabah. Apparently its inhabitants have a lot more to worry about than just the Heartless, though those were a problem as well. Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Abu, and Carpet were now joined by someone else in their crusade against evil-the loudmouthed parrot named Iago, formerly a flunky serving the villain Jafar. They said he had reformed since that little incident, but Riku muttered that despite being rehabilitated, the bird was still as annoying as ever.

They group asked us to help them fight against a sorcerer from the Deserts of the Black Sands who wished to conquer Agrabah. The man was surprise when we actually came face-to-face with him; he was younger than I'd thought he'd be (probably about Aladdin's age) with pale skin, longish black hair, and an expensive looking costume. Yet there was cruelty in his eyes and his smooth language, and you could tell from the start that this guy was trouble. Like Jafar, he'd meddled in the affairs of the Heartless, seeking to use their power for his own ends.

Our latest exploits took place on the world of the Olympus Coliseum. Another tournament had been in progress, drawing people from all over the world: humans, both male and female, in every kind of armor or weapon you could ever imagine, as well as demi-gods and demi-humans...truly the occasion had called out a large and diverse crowd to the coliseum. We had agreed that if any news were there to be found, this would have been the place to search.

Philoctetes, the satyr running the tournament, had remembered Sora, but had also admitted it being ages since they last met. The demi-god Hercules also remembered Sora, though he knew about as much about Sora's recent activities as Phil. Besides those two, we had met some of Hercules' other friends, including his girlfriend Megara, and his two old friends from his teen years that had stopped by to see how he was doing. One was an eccentric inventor by the name of Icarus. The other was a seer named Cassandra. And of course there was also the collection of local gods that had come to oversee the tournament. None of them, however, could offer any new information about Sora. 

So that's how things have been going these past couple of weeks. We're taking a breather from all this world hopping and I'll write down later if anything else happens.

###

It was a cool, breezy afternoon in Traverse Town. Thick clouds drifted overhead, possibly predicting rain later that day or night. Riku was drilling himself on various sword exercises in the yard, while Kairi watched him from the back porch. After running through the basic cuts, combinations and drills, and then some of the more complicated forms, Riku stopped to take a break. He took the seat next to Kairi and poured himself lemonade from the pitcher.

"You've improved a lot since I last watched you." Kairi complimented as he took a sip of the tangy liquid.

"Thanks."

"Sei fights pretty well too," She added, recalling all their recent battles. Riku nodded in agreement, but he also seemed uneasy about something.

"There's something about his style that's familiar. I feel like I've seen it somewhere before."

Kairi looked back at him, trying to figure out the expression on his face.

"That's weird." 

She toyed with her glass. 

"Well, actually, there are a lot of things about him that are weird. I sense something about him, but I can't tell what it is."

"You too?" Riku smiled dryly. "So it's not just me being overly-suspicious."

Kairi shook her head, causing her hat to flop about.

"I don't think so." 

She set down her glass to readjust the hat. 

"The problem is, Sei is so secretive. He doesn't talk about himself much, if at all, and is quite impossible to pin down-which has gotten really annoying- but he's helped us this far."

She pursed her lips slightly but then her face cleared.

"I trust him, though. I think he really is a good person. Maybe, eventually, he'll trust us enough to tell us what it is he's hiding."

Her silver-haired companion snorted-as if that was happening anytime soon.

"He's at that library, isn't he?" Kairi asked. "The one started by that wizard Merlin?"

"Yes. He seems to like to go there a lot doesn't he?" Riku commented.

"I'd like to see it myself sometime," Kairi admitted. "I've heard that Merlin's collected books from all the worlds for his library. Actually, you know what? I'll check it out right now. It'd be nice, to just spend a couple of hours relaxing with some good books. You want to come with me?"

Riku shook his head with a smile.

"No thanks. Hope you have fun."

Kairi waved as she went inside.

"You too."

The library was located on the other side of Third District, but she didn't mind the walk. It was nice, anyway, for her to just wander along the busy road, watching people doing their daily things and living out their lives. Most people who came here to Traverse Town were those who hadn't found a place to fit in their own world, or were running away from a past that still haunted them. But looking at it all now, that could be hard to believe.

The crossroads, the place where angels who have lost their way are drawn. She wondered at the lives these people might have once led, and what memories lay hidden from the rest of the world. 

She could see the library up ahead, and crossed the street to ascend its white stairs.

It was rumored that people had gotten lost within the maze of shelves of Merlin's library for hours at a time. Kairi questioned the truth in those words, but there was no doubt that the library was massive. Shelf after shelf of books stood in lines against the walls and through the rooms, displaying their volumes for the people. She eyed the color-coded map on the wall, wondering what area she wanted to peruse through first. Finally, she determined to explore the section marked for its books about other worlds, located on the second level.

Few people were in the building that day. She spotted Sei immediately as she passed the aisle he was standing in. His head was bent over a book and he was wearing headphones connected to a CD-player hooked onto his jean pocket. He didn't noticed Kairi until she was almost upon him.

"Spirit Guardians of China," She read from the top of the page. Sei clicked a button on the CD-player and pulled off the headphones.

"Sounds interesting."

"It is," Sei replied simply.

Kairi hooked her hands behind her back, looking around them.

"It's almost hard to imagine how many books could be kept within these walls. Amazing really." She turned back towards Sei with curiosity in her face. "I guess you like to read a lot, since you've been here so many times."

Sei watched her with an inscrutable expression.

"Reading...has always been a favored pastime of mine."

He shut the book and replaced it back onto the shelf.

"You're surrounded by so many ideas and words and knowledge when you're in a place such as this. I've always craved to know things, to understand everything. I could never stand to live in ignorance of anything; it always gnawed at me until I thought I had found all the answers."

"Perhaps...that is my greatest weakness." His last words were quiet, and spoken mostly to himself.

Silence. Kairi did not know what to say to all this. 

"Do you want to listen to this?"

She nearly jumped at the abrupt change of subject.

"What?"

Sei had unhooked his CD-player and offered it to Kairi.

"There's no name on the CD. I only just found it today at a used store; they didn't know who it was by, or what if was for, and even where the silly thing had come from, but the music on it was nice so I got it. I think maybe you'll enjoy it too."

Kairi took the object, and slipped on the headphones. Sei clicked the "play" bottom for her.

The first song was sweet and beautiful with the melody played on a piano. It spoke of innocence and dreams and had a wonderful surreal feel to it. She found herself wistfully thinking of Sora, the untouched purity before the Heartless had come.

The second one began with the sounds of a harp, chimes, and bells, accompanied by various flute and horn instruments. Unlike the first one, this piece had an orchestrated feel to it. A prickle grew along her spine, and with it an odd sense of familiarity for its feel, although she'd swear she had never heard the song before.

After a few minutes, the song faded away after a dramatic climax. Kairi waited for the next melody to begin and reached for another book on the shelf.

When she was in the middle of reading about the ancient history of Atlantis, she got the feeling that someone's eyes were boring into her. She looked around, but saw no one except herself and Sei. Then she glanced up and noticed the small brown owl staring down at them.

"That's Merlin's pet, Archimedes." Sei told her, noticing the owl as well. To her surprise, he added in mock whisper, "The," he coughed, "self-proclaimed 'highly educated owl'."

The owl eyed him with undisguised distaste. Clearly he had heard and understood every word.

"Insolent ruffian."

Sei was unperturbed by the comment uttered from its beak.

"Nosy, rat-eating feather duster."

Archimedes rolled his eyes, a gesture that said he didn't need to take any more of this abuse. With a light flapping of wings, the owl had left.

"Probably back to its master." Sei noted without remorse. 

"Merlin's a peculiar old man, but not someone to be underestimated. Maybe you'll meet him sometime."

Kairi shrugged. "I think I might have, once, the first time I was at Traverse Town."

The conversation drifted to a close, and again the two submerged themselves in the sea of books that surrounded them. 

They returned to the house in the early evening, to find Riku making dinner in the kitchen. A pot of spaghetti was boiling on the stove, while he was chopping mushrooms and vegetables for the tomato sauce.

Kairi dropped her bag onto the kitchen table.

"Need any help?"

Riku gestured vaguely off to towards the oven, without bothering to turn around or drop his knife

"If you could check the breadsticks, that'd be helpful."

Sei inhaled deeply as he entered the room.

"Smells delicious in here."

Riku laughed. "Thanks. It's certainly a more welcome scent to come home to than canned soup."

Sei snagged a breadstick from off the tray as Kairi put it out on the table. "There's nothing wrong with canned soup."

Riku, Kairi, and Sei took turns cooking meals whenever they were in Traverse Town. Kairi usually prepared island-style foods, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Riku had a hand with a variety of dishes derived from different worlds, such as the spaghetti that he was cooking that day.   
Sei, on the other hand, seemed limited in his culinary skills to canned soup and instant noodle. And bread. As Riku would say, at least there was always fresh bread with Sei.

They went for a walk in Napple Park after dinner, a relaxing way to end the day before they were forced to set out on their next adventure. Riku spent some time messing around with some kids playing near the duck pond, leaving Kairi and Sei in a grassy field to talk and admire the stars beginning to appear in the darkening sky.

They had been to so many worlds, had so many adventures and met so many people. At one time, Kairi might have found all this so exciting, and she guessed she still did. 

But one thing still weighed heavily in her mind, taking away from that pleasure.

"There are so many worlds that we haven't been to yet. I wonder if we'll have to go to them all before even finding a trace of Sora." Kairi murmured sadly.

She didn't add the fear that was creeping inside her mind-

~Was Sora even still *alive*?!? Somehow, the possibility seemed to grow more and more likely as time passed without them having found him, or even a trace of him...

"No!" She suddenly said aloud. "I can't think like that! I'm a Princess of Heart; I can't lose hope!"

The words had been directed towards herself but evidently Sei had heard them too. Kairi bit her lip, ashamed of her outburst. He looked at her sideways, a kind of long, intense look that she had never seen on him before. He abruptly turned his face away.

"Sei?"

Silence; she could hear the sounds of the singing insects in the grass, the laughter of Riku and the kids, and the splash of rocks as they sunk into the water.

"Kairi-"

His voice came out a little strange and he stopped. When he tried again, his voice came out a little stronger.

"Don't worry Kairi. We'll find him. I promise, no matter how long it takes, I'll always be here to help you find him!"

He stood up. His back was to her, but she could see him wiping at something on his face.

"Wait!"

Kairi pushed herself up onto her feet before Sei had taken as much as a step, and caught at his sleeve.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

She didn't wait for an answer before pressing on quickly.

"We're friends, right? I want to know if anything is wrong; I want to know, because we-Riku and me-we can't help you if you won't tell us anything. You can trust me, okay? I mean, now that we've gone through so much, and-"

She was babbling almost incoherently, and she knew it.

"It's okay Kairi." Sei interrupted. He had twisted around so that he was facing her, his hands on her shoulders. "I know I can trust you."

He let go and began walking past her. 

"Sei..." 

Movement at the edge of her vision caused her to turn her head. Riku had been watching them, but she didn't know for how long. He had very peculiar expression on his face.

"What is it?" Kairi asked, not really caring.

"Nothing." He still wore that expression as he spoke. 

"It's... getting late. Ready to call it a day?"

She gazed unseeingly at the spot that Sei had been standing at. "I guess."

She wouldn't give up on them.

Neither Sora...

...or Sei. She'd never give up on her friends.

Her eyes closed and she took a deep, steadying breath.

"Okay. Let's go."

Riku and Kairi walked back to the house together in silence, neither feeling much in the mood of speaking. Sei had left without them. Once they got back, Kairi announced that she was tired and was going to go to bed early. Watching her, Riku could tell that she really was exhausted, but more from other reasons that she wouldn't admit. Sora, the Heartless, the worlds...and of course that damned Sei and his stupid secretiveness...he had a sudden desire to shake the blonde youth, and probably would have if the young man had been present. Where was he anyway? Riku ran a hand through his unruly locks in a gesture or frustration and weariness. His fingers brushed against the silky smooth cloth of his blindfold, and her jerked his hand away. Eyes of a Heartless...he supposed this was his punishment for having so easily succumbed to the darkness. If anyone deserved them it was him for having been such a selfish twit those five years ago.

He strode outside, feeling relief as the cold air hit his skin. The gravel path barely crunched beneath his feet as he walked out into the yard, reveling in the soothing smell of the plants and the earth. A faint light caught his attention, and he looked up towards the roof of their house to find that Sei was lying on the roof, staring at the sky. In the darkness of the night, Riku could clearly make out the features of the young man.

Sei's window overlooked an almost level of roofing over their house; it was as easy enough task to climb out onto it without sliding off to the ground level. He was singing softly to himself, something he tended to do when he was trying not to think about something. Riku couldn't hear his words, which was probably just as well.

"Like the perfect ending, it won't be too long...'till everything I've ruined has seen me gone...in time I pray you'll forgive...now you know the man I am...will you forgive me?" Sei broke off after that verse, wondering at music's ability to capture emotion so well. 

It was only a distraction, really. In the meantime, less pleasant thoughts were attempting to push their way to the forefront of his mind. They reminded him of the many things that were not right with the world at that moment, of all the secrets he was keeping from his two companions. But it was better that they did not know; they'd hate him if they did. Heh, for that matter, it was sometimes too easy for him to hate himself.

Unaware of Sei's thoughts, Riku was about to reenter the house when something white and shining fluttered to the ground, disappearing in a fade of white light when it touched the earth. He paused, trying to make sense of it. 

A white feather?

He glanced up at the roof, but Sei was already gone.

###

A/N:

For a brief disclaimer, the song at the end with Sei is actually from the Cowboy Bebop CD "Knocking on Heaven's Door" called "No Reply". Also, that CD they were listening to in the library isn't mine either—I hope you can guess what it is. ^.~


	5. A Fleeting Prayer

A long time ago, Riku had attempted to use the heart of a charmed puppet to save Kairi's life. Ultimately, his plans had been thwarted by Sora's intervention, but since then he had made amends with the marionette and his "father", Geppetto. The toy maker still lived in Traverse Town with his now-human son, and this was where Riku, Kairi and Sei were now.

They had been walking past Geppetto's shop when Kairi stopped and claimed to sense a glimmer just inside the building. A fold of black cloth twitched as Riku raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I'm impressed." He sounded like he meant it too. "You're abilities have improved a lot since we started all this.

Kairi grinned, pleased.

"Thanks. So um, do you want to go in now or wait until some other time?"

Riku glanced past her towards the open glass windows consideringly.

"I guess we could check it out now and see what we can find." He said at length.

They walked through the door, a bell ringing as the entrance opened and closed. A black and white cat slept lazily on the window display, barely opening one amber eye at the intrusion before returning to its nap. A goldfish swam lazy circles in a glass bowl next to a rack of clocks and dolls, and a boy ran out to meet them.

"Hi Riku!" Pinocchio enthusiastically greeted the blindfolded young man and then his two friends.

"Father is working in the back of the shop- if you decide to buy anything, just tell me and I'll get him for you."

"Sure," Riku answered. "Thanks kid."

As soon as Pinocchio was out of hearing range, Sei spoke to Kairi in a low voice. 

"So where did you sense it?"

Kairi was already busy seeking the glimmer out.

"Over here somewhere-"

She pushed aside a painted blue and red harlequin. Then paused.

"-here, I think." She muttered, and then glanced questioningly at her other friend. "Riku...?"

Riku looked where she indicated. "Yes, I see it."

After this confirmation, their conversation was abruptly broken off as they waited for a suitable moment on which to act. Kairi occupied herself by examining a set of exquisitely painted dolls that sat together on a carved wooden bench on the shelf. She had never had much interest as a small girl in playing with dolls, but these seemed far more suited as ornaments than playthings.

An old, male voice called Pinocchio out to the back of the workshop, which Pinocchio quickly answered. Riku waited as the footsteps left the room, and there were only the three of them left. He glanced at Kairi, waiting.

"If you're going to open it, you'd better get it done with quickly Kairi."

Kairi nodded and drew out her heartkey; a familiar shot of white light was released from the baton and then they were gone.

They stepped out into an immense marble throne room, the heels of their shoes clicking sharply on the smooth white floor. Red and gold banners hung from the ceiling, matching the velvet-cushioned throne on the upraised dais at the front. The chamber was empty, with the only exit an enormous set of carved double doors at the far end. The doors were their first targets.

"I don't think we'll be able to get them open," Riku said at last. "At least by ourselves."

Actually, it was doubtful the doors would even budge with a dozen other people helping them. Upon closer examination, the doors looked several inches thick, and ran all the way towards the top of the vaulted ceiling, maybe five, six stories up. It was also painted a rich shade of lavender. 

"So we're stuck in here?" Kairi asked in dismay. She was willing to bet the doors weren't even locked. Then again, they wouldn't have to be.

Sei walked behind the two of them to investigate the other end of the door, and lightly placed a hand on one of the carvings. Riku and Kairi turned their heads just in time to see a normal sized exit pop out from the paneling, revealing a brightly lit hall on the other side. 

They stared at it for a long moment, and then Sei laughed.

"I'm guessing," he said, still chuckling, "whoever designed this castle had a strange sense of humor."

Kairi still wasn't sure what to make of all this.

"...no kidding."

Tall glass windows along one side of the hall revealed a flower and hedge garden outside. Red carpeting covered the floor. This passage was empty as well, but after a few minutes they met someone walking in their direction; a female mouse in a pink, satiny dress. She stopped as soon as she saw them.

"Oh my goodness! I don't believe I've seen any of you here before." A friendly smile lifted at her lips, one that was returned awkwardly by her guests.

"Are you new to the castle?" She didn't allow them time for any reply before continuing with light exasperation evident in her voice. "Oh, I told them to let me know if there were any visitors."

The mouse shook her head, tsking under breath. The three exchanged glances, wondering at their next move from there. 

"Um, excuse me, ma'am-" Kairi ventured.

The mouse-lady didn't wait for Kairi to finish.

"Goodness me, where are my manners? I haven't even properly introduced myself yet." She curtsied with practiced grace. "I am Queen Minnie."

Kairi's eyes widened as she looked again at the mouse. *Really* looked.

"Queen Minnie?!" Kairi cried.

"Wasn't this the lady married to Sir Donald and Goofy's King?" Sei asked, clearly as astonished as Kairi.

Riku nodded knowingly as his companions sputtered in surprise. 

"We must be in Disney Castle."

Minnie regarded them with slight puzzlement. "That's right. Were you here to see my husband?"

"Yes, as soon as possible," Riku replied.

Minnie considered this.

"Well, he's rather busy at the moment- it may be a while..."

"We're willing to wait."

"All right then." The queen started down the hall. "If you will please follow me."

She took them to a room several corridors farther into the castle and told them that the king would be informed of their presence promptly. In the meantime, some refreshment would be sent up. She waited to make sure that the three were comfortably settled in and then left. The quiet of the room was not long kept. 

"I can't believe this!" 

Kairi happily bounced onto one of the sofas, hardly able to contain her excitement. "Finally, after all this time, a real lead to Sora."

She fell back onto the soft cushions in a sprawl, grinning.

~Maybe he was here already...?

Riku sat down more carefully across from her, and Sei took the seat beside him.

"Try not to put your hopes up to high." Riku cautioned. "We don't know for sure that Mickey knows anything about where Sora is right now."

His words made sense, but Kairi was too excited to really attend to what her friend was saying. She couldn't help it; all she could see in her mind was Sora's happy face as they finally found each other again. 

~It's been too long, Sora

She wondered how much he had changed over the years, how he would look, and what he would say. With so much time having passed, the idea of Sora finally returning to them seemed almost unreal, like some sort of wonderful dream-only it wasn't a dream! Caught up in her own thoughts, she barely noticed when a rabbit-girl came after a few minutes with a tray of juice and various pastries and candied fruit. She set down the tray on the small table in front of them, curtseying politely before she left, murmuring something about that these esteemed guests of the Disney castle would be seeing the king shortly before hurrying away. 

Sei picked up a pastry and nibbled a little bit of it. Each of the pastries had been carefully glazed and decorated with icing and fruit. They were probably delicious...but he couldn't taste anything at all.

"What's on your mind?"

"Huh?" 

Sei looked up, startled.

"You're holding it to your mouth, but you're not eating it," Riku pointed out calmly. "Are they really that bad?"

"No, no, I just--" He put the pastry down on a napkin, deciding he wasn't hungry after all.

"-I just have a bad feeling about all of this."

Riku gave him a sharp look, but kept his tone light.

"Hey, don't worry. These are good people; they'll help us."

"It's not that." Sei glanced over at Kairi and Riku saw it. A shadow fell over his face.

"I see."

Kairi would be devastated if it turned out that something was wrong, especially here of all places.

"I'd hate to see her hurt." Sei said quietly, his hands on his knees.

Riku leaned back into the chair, crossing his arms over his chest as he considered all this.

"If this makes you feel any better, I've known Kairi a lot longer than you have and she's stronger than she looks; she's not going to lose hope, no matter what happens."

He reached for a square pastry with coconut and white confectioner's sugar sprinkled on it, keeping his own emotions in check within himself.

"So try to relax, okay?"

Sei tried to smile, to reassure Riku, but even he could guess that it probably looked weak. Then he remembered Riku wouldn't have been able to see the smile anyway. He groaned inwardly. Sometimes they forgot that Riku was partly blind, and then sometimes it was all too obvious. He wondered if Riku still minded what had happened to his eyes, or if it was simply something he had grown to accept.

Mickey arrived at the room fifteen minutes later; they all looked up as the door clicked open and in stepped the legendary sovereign of Disney Castle. Behind him stood Minnie, as well as an elegantly dressed female duck, and two very familiar faces.

"Donald! Goofy!" Kairi stood up in amazement.

"You're here!"

The mage and knight that had accompanied Sora were at Disney Castle... she remembered how close they had grown. Surely they wouldn't have separated in the time since the closing of the doors of Kingdom Heart. Could this mean...?

"Where is he? Where's Sora?"

The hope and expectancy she had tried to keep restrained broke loose of its walls, and he was all she was thinking of.

~Finally, finally, after all this time, I can't wait any longer...

"Sora?" 

Donald's voice was surprised, hesitant, and also... pained? Kairi faltered; both duck and dog had acquired similar looks of discomfort on their faces 

"Well, err-" Donald stammered.

"You see, umm-"

They hated to finish that sentence, anyone could tell that; both refused to look her in the eyes, and were stalling as best they could. Finally, Goofy decided to just let know her straight off.

"Garwsh, we're sorry Kairi, but we haven't seen Sora. Not since-"

They didn't need to finish; she could already hear the words playing inside her mind.

Five years ago. 

They hadn't seen him since five years ago.

Something inside her shattered. She couldn't begin to describe the emotions that began to storm inside her...sorrow, anger, fear...all bottled up inside so that she wanted to scream or cry or *something*, just to let them loose so they'd stop pounding away inside...

Suddenly, she felt so small, empty, and tired.

~You've waited this long

A voice inside her tried to whisper consolation.

~Surely you can wait just a little longer

She refused to listen.

Kairi sat down, and allowed the tears to silently stream down her face.

~Oh my god...Sora... 

They didn't last very long. After a while, she just stopped crying, like she felt that enough was enough and that she couldn't let herself fall apart like this. Not if she wanted to help Sora. She brushed aside Riku's and Sei's attempts to comfort her and asked in a surprisingly strong voice for the knight and mage to tell her exactly what had happened. Here was the story according to Donald and Goofy:

After the sealing of the door in Kingdom Hearts, everybody had been returned to their own worlds, right? 

Well, almost everyone. 

Donald, Goofy, and Sora had been, for some reason, trapped in a world that they had later discovered to be called by its inhabitants Sperare. They had been walking along a countryside road for a while when they came upon the dog Pluto and a note from the King. It had been more or a "good-luck on your journey" sort of thing, but had also included some information; it had said that, although the walls between the worlds had been re-established, there would still be ways that they could get around this problem. Something about loopholes and certain hearts or whatever...

Anyway, it had also told them that there journey was far from over- Ansem was the very least of the troubles concerning the Heartless and that they had better be prepared for the worst, especially Sora.  

So they had continued their travels on that world until, at last, they found someone who told them he could help them. Who had it been? Riku asked. Donald informed him with regret that they didn't know, as the person's face and identity had been carefully hidden. 

The person had claimed to know a spell that could send the three to another world, if that was what they desired. They took a vote, decided to take the anonymous man's offer on the count of "what choice do we have?" The decision had been to be sent to Disney Castle, where presumably King Mickey had returned.

It turned out the man had been telling them the truth... sort of. Goofy and Donald had been sent back to Disney Castle. Sora hadn't. Whether or not this had been the man's original intention, Sora was gone.

A gloomy silence fell over the gathering as the account ended. They were about as close to finding Sora as when they had first begun. 

So many worlds-

How many more would it take before they even caught as much as Sora's shadow?

"Have you been to Hollow Bastion yet?" Mickey inquired.

They shook their heads. "Traverse Town in huge," Riku explained. 

"And all the glimmers we've found look the same: there's no way of telling where any will lead. But you're right; besides this castle, Hollow Bastion would probably have been our best bet for finding anything."

Mickey thought for a moment.

"Try the cathedral in Third District; I have a feeling that you may find something there." 

Mickey's advice was not questioned; it had been simply accepted long ago that he 'knew' things.

Riku, Kairi, and Sei might have taken off right there and then to begin anew their search, but Minnie insisted that they rest awhile at the castle. At length they accepted the invitation, but made plans to leave first thing in the morning. 

Disney castle was a capricious place in its own right, and a stay in its cheery atmosphere did help to sooth the strained nerves of the travelers. Kairi took long walks by herself through the bright corridors, watching the castle's animal inhabitants go about their daily activities. She also spent time in the music room, listening to the students practice their various instruments. Some of the children even tried to convince her to try learning how to play with them, rather than just sit by herself at the back of the room.

Meanwhile, Riku was with the King Mickey, who told him of the current events occurring in this world, and then of the king's own story of what had happened to him before their meeting at the doors of Kingdom Hearts. 

As for Sei, he spent some time conversing with the duck and dog that had once been two of Sora's closest friends and allies. At first glance, they seemed absolutely the last people who could get along together: Donald was prone to wild fits of tempter, while Goofy could at times seem almost simple-minded in his speech and manner. Yet both were good people, loyal to a fault, and they remembered Sora fondly. They related to Sei some of their adventures with the boy, and the unbreakable bond that had grown between them as time had passed.

"Oh, but that's not to say we didn't always get along so well." Donald admitted. "Especially in the beginning. Sora just looked to be too much of a kid, unfit for the quest that we were supposed to undertake."

"But Sora proved himself to be quite a hero, didn't he Donald?" Goofy remarked with feeling. "Strongest heart I'd ever find in, well, anyone! We went through a lot together, and I never knew him to let any of us down."

"And then we betrayed him at Hollow Bastion." Donald looked ashamed at the memory as he stared down at his feet. "And abandoned him for the 'true keyblade master'." 

Goofy affirmed this seriously, adding, "In the end, though, we realized that we couldn't leave poor Sora-not after all we had been through together. It just wasn't right. We were a team, and as a team we'd stick through it to the end!"

Donald strode to where Sei was sitting, mage-staff in one hand, and heaved himself up onto the railing beside the young man.

"So when you find Sora, tell him that we made it back fine," Donald told him firmly. "And that--"

"--we'll always be here to cheer him on," Goofy finished for Donald. 

"And when this is all over, he'd better write or he'll be sorry when I get my hands on him." Donald added sharply.

###

They set out early the next day, leaving after a quick breakfast with their hosts. All of them came to say goodbye and to wish the three good luck on their search for Sora.

The morning in Traverse town was a clear, bright one, the air crisp and refreshing to the three world-travelers. The cathedral itself was very large and a magnificent building: all gray stone with sweeping, grand columns, and ornate carvings and statues running atop its walls. Light danced from enormous stained glass windows across the alter and polished, worn seats. Each step echoed ominously in the empty hall. They had been there before, on one of the first few days of Kairi's arrival and hadn't found anything then, but perhaps this was due to the fact that they hadn't really been looking.

Riku paused to glance back at Kairi as they entered. She tried to stay upbeat and optimistic for their sakes, but he could tell that last night's deep disappointment had taken its toll on her. He wondered how much more of this could she take. Where was Sora, really? What could have happened to him, all those years ago? These thoughts ran inside his mind, even as he walked down the aisles and opened his senses to their surroundings. 

Kairi hesitated at a small alcove with a statue of an angel, then made a small motion with her hands. She silently mouthed the words to a fleeting prayer.

~Please, give me the strength to go on

Sei stood quietly behind Kairi, regarding the statue. Kairi looked back in surprise when she noticed him, than quickly tried to walk away, feeling embarrassed.

"It's all right if you wanted to pray." Sei informed her, catching up in only a few strides. "I've just never seen show much interest in that sort of thing before. Was it about Sora?"

He at once winced, wondering if it had been a good idea to bring up the subject but Kairi answered readily.

"Yes."

Sei paused, then added. "I'm sure he's still alive, waiting for you to find him."

They stood together, bathed in white, gold, and orange light.

"No matter what happens... we'll be here for you, Kairi."

Silence; Kairi was staring ahead at the cathedral altar. Was she going to cry again?

"Riku talked to me about this last night too."

Sei glanced at her questioningly.

"He informed me that there was no way that Sora would die on me now; like a light, he will always be there, no matter how deep the darkness may seem. And the darkness does seem pretty endless right now." Kairi admitted. "You guys really are the greatest." 

She said this in a rush, flushing somewhat. 

"Although I may not have known you as long as some other people, I know I'll never have any better friends than the two I'm with now."

She smiled up at him, a frail one, but he was glad of the gesture.

Another period of silence.

"So..." Sei flailed about mentally for something to talk about.

"...what kind of gods do the people of your island worship?"

Kairi giggled at his sudden awkwardness, but proceeded to detail some of her homelands major deities and shrines.

"-there was a girl, Yuna, who took care of the shrines and always helped with the ceremonies on religious holidays. She really was more of a Healer, though, and it looked like she and one of the guys on the islands, Tidus, were forming a very close relationship." She sighed wistfully as she thought of all her friends back at the Destiny Islands. 

"I wonder how everybody is doing now..."

She broke off as she noticed Riku gesturing to them on the other side of the room.

"I think Riku's found something; come on."

They followed Riku up flight of stairs into another, much smaller room. This one obviously served as some sort of storage area, with dusty boxes and crates, several chairs stacked up into short towers, and a tall mirror propped up to one side. The only light was through a thin slit of a window in one wall.

Kairi didn't need any prompting. She quickly drew out her heartkey and opened the glimmer. Riku entered the door first. 

Riku hadn't been altogether sure what to expect when they arrived; in five years things were certain to have changed, especially with Maleficent's removal from the castle. Even so, the welcome he did receive caught him completely off guard.

That is to say, a sharp blade at his throat.


	6. The City of Truth

A/N:

In response to Tornado's fifth review, I've tweaked Chapter five a bit to fix the concern over Riku and Sei offering sympathies to Kairi. It's not much, just some added dialogue between Sei and Kairi in the cathedral and then some other little things throughout the chapters.

"Why didn't either Riku or Sei try and console her? We all know she's close to Riku, and Sei seemed to make a connection with her in the other chapter... so why not?"

Why not? Because I was busy planning the next chapter and tend to overlook things like that when I'm in a rushed. 

I can hear it now..."How could you overlook that?!? It's a very important part of the story!" 

I kinda figured that the reader would assume that Riku and Sei had tried to console her. Guess not...So this may or may not have helped, but you're welcome to go back and check out the revisions. 

Constructive criticism and suggestions are always more than welcome!! I have absolutely no delusions about my writing skills, and am always seeking to improve it!

###

"Hold it right there, Heartless."

Riku blinked for a moment, adjusting to the curtain of darkness that had ascended upon his vision. Through the veil he could make out a woman with long, light brown hair and a metal headband that covered one eye. In one hand she clutched the reigns to what looked to be a large golden bird on stocky orange feet. The bird regarded him for a moment, then cawed in shrill agitation. He didn't need to see the sharp sword the hair's breath from his skin to know it was there.

"Oh, well who would have guessed?" The woman had taken a moment to really look at Riku. "You're not a Heartless after all."

Riku glanced from the sword to her face.

"No," He agreed. "Heartless rarely look this much like humans." 

Despite her earlier words she hadn't, he noticed, moved her weapon an inch.

Shortly after, Sei emerged from the glimmer. Kairi followed, eyes widening slightly as she accessed the situation. The women did not move when she saw them either, although Riku noticed an almost imperceptible tensing in her frame.

"Kindly explain yourselves."

The woman sounded calm-almost cheerful really.

"If you do not cooperate," she added. "I assure you that you will quickly find yourselves regretting it."

A sentiment that was very believable given their position.

The woman was wary of them- perfectly reasonable, as the trio had just emerged from a portal connected to who-knew-where. The assumption could be made that the trio was dangerous, age notwithstanding. 

On the other hand, similar things could have been said about Riku's assailant herself.

"Who are you?" Sei asked, not bothering to hide any distrust.

The woman gave a short bark of laughter. 

"You must have come from somewhere very far indeed to not recognize the crest of a knight trained in Hollow Bastion itself. I am the Lady Beatrix."

So at least they were in the right world. For a moment Kairi had been worried that they had not found the right glimmer. Yet, how far were they from their intended destination?

"The three of us are from Traverse Town." Riku informed the knight, speaking far more calmly than his situation should have warranted. "We were on our way to meet some... friends at Hollow Bastion."

"We're not here to cause any trouble." Sei said.

Beatrix's still didn't look entirely convinced that they weren't lying. After a moment, though, she sheathed her sword, leaving Riku to rub his neck with a very bland expression on his face.

"How far is it to the castle anyway?" Kairi asked.

"Three hours from here." Beatrix answered as she mounted her bird. She looked down at them from her perch, "And that's if you're traveling by chocobo."

The three of them exchanged glances: Riku looked annoyed at this setback and Sei seeming wholly uninterested in the whole business, so long as they arrived at the castle in the end. Kairi merely shrugged, her opinion about the situation the same as Sei's. Beatrix's lip curled as she observed the exchange. Apparently she had determined them reasonably harmless... for the moment.

"If you want to rent some mounts of your own, you can do so at that building just down the road," Beatrix suggested. "It shouldn't be too expensive."

They decided, after a brief conference, to take the woman's advice. Kairi thanked Beatrix for her friends as they set down the road first, then ran to catch up with them.

"Do you think that she trusts us enough now to leave us peacefully?" Kairi asked. Although the circumstances in which they had met had not be quite friendly, Kairi thought she could have come to like Beatrix and the woman's self-confident attitude.

Riku turned his head to look back at the lady over his shoulder.

"Not a chance," he stated bluntly. Unsurprisingly, he turned out to be right.

In the meantime however, there was still their rides to be worried about. The stable was nearly empty of its usual avian occupants when they entered, although the smell of the animals was still heavy in the air. A boy with his sleeves and trousers rolled up to bony knees and elbows was mucking out the stalls. He paused only to give the potential customers the once-over before going back to his work.

"Chocobos are out back in the pasture," he informed them as they approached. He didn't bother to look up again as he spoke. 

"You'll have to talk to my Da to rent any. He's out back too," he added, jerking his thumb towards the back of the building.

"So, I suppose chocobo is the usual way of getting around this country?" Kairi inquired.

The boy gave her a very sharp glance at the question.

"You all are foreigners, then? Did ya come down to these parts by flying ship?" He dug the end of his pitchfork into a pile of dirty hay. As he pondered this, a sudden gleam of interest entered his eye.

"Are any of you fellows from up north? I hear they use some sort of small breed of dragon for mounts in some regions up there."

His customers made some noises of refute to this question while the boy continued.

"No? Hmph, there's supposed to be a bunch of dragon knights or dragoons or whatever keeping the order up there. But," he said, the confidence plain in his voice, "I'd bet ya anything our own Hollow Bastion warriors could kick their sorry arses-"

"Danny!" a voice suddenly chided. Another, older man had entered the room, holding on to the reins of a golden chocobo. Danny looked momentarily startled. The man said with an almost mocking gruff edge to his tone, "language like that if front of this young lady?"

He led the chocobo down to its stall and then turned back to face them.

"You're not here to slack off and dally away with the customers."

Danny looked properly abashed from this scolding, and ducked his head down as he continued his work.

"Right," the man said, changing mode to speak with his new patrons. "So how can I help you fine people today?"

Sei spoke up in a brisk, practical manner. "We're interested in renting some of your chocobos."

The man nodded, absently wiping his hands on the sides of his trousers. "Your destination?"

"Hollow Bastion."

"All right; come with me then." The man led the way to the chocobo pasture outside.

Beatrix was still outside when they finished making arrangements with the stable owner. She had been on her chocobo talking to a small group of younger knights apparently under her command; she looked up as the trio exited the building, looking as if as if she had been waiting for them.

"I'll be escorting you three to Hollow Bastion; I hope you do not mind to much this possible inconvenience."

Not that it seemed as if she was giving them any choice in the matter.

"I'm sure you understand that the circumstances we had met under were... dubious, to say the least. These measures are only to confirm that you are indeed not a threat to the well being of the people. If this is proved, you will be free to go about your business in the capital."

She paused, and was given a reply of hedged silence.

"Good. These two-" she gestured off to a pair knights riding up to them, "-will be accompanying us as well."

One was woman and the other was a man, but the both seemed much younger than Beatrix-possibly in their late teens or their early twenties. Both were also outfitted in matching uniform and a light armor of hardened leather. The two newcomers nodded in greeting as they lined up at the side of their superior.

With these arrangements made, the group set out.

Their journey began with very little conversation; neither Kairi, Riku, nor 

Sei had any intentions of discussing their journey in front of these outsiders, and for the most part all the knights were interested in were getting their job done. After awhile though, Kairi grew sick of this unfriendly atmosphere and began casually chatting with their escorts, eventually drawing Riku and Sei into the exchange as well. She asked the two knights a little about themselves and their backgrounds.

"I'm Eris," their first escort, the young woman said first with a smile. Apparently, she was relieved that at least one other person in the group was interested in lightening up the mood of their journey a little. She cast a glance over towards her partner.

"And that stuffed shirt over there is Glenn."

Glenn gave her a slighted look as he overheard her words. "I beg your pardon?"

Eris snickered. "Can't you tell a joke Glenn? Honestly. You're so noble and polite all the time it can drive one completely mad..."

"I don't see anything wrong with being, as you put it, 'noble and polite'."

Eris ignored his last statement. "But of course, Dario's not any better is he?" she added musingly. "I liked you better when we were younger-Dario's been a terrible influence."

"Who is Dario?" This was Sei, riding off a little to the side of the group.

"Glenn's brother, and one of the best knights we ever had at the castle." Eris explained. "Serving our leader of the realm, now-Squall Leonhart, though actually these days he still prefers to be called Leon-" 

"Leon's running the country now?" Kairi asked with surprise. 

She remembered the surly young man from Traverse Town, and had some difficulty imagining him doing any such thing.

"Yes, some people thought that he'd been too young for the job." Glenn said, misinterpreting her surprise. "But they say he'd been a remarkable leader after Maleficent's fall from power, really pulled everything back together, and everyone had begged him to make it a full time occupation. He finally officially accepted the position after the second month or so."

"By the way, who did you say you were seeing in Hollow Bastion?" Eris inquired. "We may know them."

"Oh, I'm sure you would." Kairi murmured truthfully. Beside her, if she had bothered to look, she would have made out a sardonic grin on Riku's features.

"Where are you two from?" Riku asked. "Did you grow up in Hollow Bastion or from elsewhere in this country?"

"Oh, no," Eris said. "I grew up in the mountains of the northeastern regions with two other siblings. They're both quite a bit younger than me, but the older one is currently training to be a black mage at the castle."

"A black mage and a knight in the same family. Your family must be pleased with this?" Sei questioned.

"Oh yes, very. I visit them usually during Midwinter Festivals, when most of us get leave to see our families."

"And you Glenn?" Riku prompted when Eris had finished.

"I come from up north as well, from the port-city of Termina." 

"Lovely place," Eris commented. "I hear that is."

"Quite." Glenn agreed. "Dario and I were training under some of the fighters in our home city for several years, but came down here when we heard that Maleficent and the Heartless had been defeated, and they were trying to reestablish Hollow Bastion and Verus as the capital of the country."

Ahead of them, Beatrix reined her chocobo, calling for a halt. The conversation broke off as they exchanged perplexed glances, but the reason for this soon became evident; shadows were pooling out onto the road, shades that had no right to be there. They were rapidly shifting into solid shapes even as the warriors readied themselves for battle. Riku and Sei drew out Oblivion and Oathkeeper to meet the now familiar threat.

Both of the young men leapt from their chocobos to meet the Heartless, unused to battle while mounted on beasts and not wishing to be hampered. Without waiting for help from their traveling companions, the charged forward to strike down their foes, dispatching them in a flurry of quick, accurate movements: a deadly pair to all those who opposed them. A Red Nocturne flew above Kairi, ready to throw a fireball at the unwary girl; Sei threw his keyblade at the Heartless. The key spun in bright flashes as it demolished the Heartless then returned to its wielder. That Nocturne and a Neo Heartless were the last to fall. After surveying the area for any lingering traces of darkness, the two dismissed their keyblades. 

Having watched this entire scene from a short distance away, Beatrix now regarded them with renewed interest. That would have been a complete understatement if used to describe Glenn and Eris' reactions.

"Keyblade wielders- I never would have guessed." 

Beatrix said this with an amused air as Riku and Sei rejoined the group.

"You took care of the creatures admirably; if it had been up to the rest of us, things probably wouldn't have gone so well- few ordinary weapons are half as affective against Heartless. Leon will be pleased to meet with you."

###

They arrived at the capital city around noon. The main road became more and more heavily congested with travelers as they neared its walls. It seemed people from every corner of that world were drawn to this great city. Moogles could be seen in a sizable population, scurrying underfoot the humans and nonhumans and fluttering overhead. The bridge into the city passed over an enormous chasm, where glassy waters poured beneath.

"This area is famous for its spelled waters." Glenn told them as they crossed. "You won't get this sort of thing anywhere else in the world."

Eris added, "sometimes they will turn on colored lights beneath the surface, especially during certain celebrations and holidays- the effect really is quite beautiful."

Their progressed slowed until they had passed the central market district of Verus. From there it was easy riding and Kairi was free to admire the grand structures of the capital; perhaps later they would have a chance to do some sightseeing together.

They passed the city's far walls and were crossing through wide fields that ended in mountains on one side and thick forests on the other. In the distance could be made out the great towers and spires of Hollow Bastion, grand and imposing against the clear sky. 

Entering through a small gateway, the first thing to be heard above everything else was a person shouting.

"In the name of all that is Holy, if I ever see his face in here again I'll...!!!!!"

An enraged man in a long red coat was looking as if he dearly wanted to strike someone over the head with his sword, but was exercising the supreme willpower it took not to do so. 

That someone, who was amazingly unaware of the potentially dangerous position he was putting himself into, had but a mildly miffed expression on his face

"-now monsieur, you are making a terrible mistake denying moi, one of the greatest swordsman ever zer was to grace zis castle, the right to join ze knights of Hollow Bastion-"

The man appeared to be losing his resolve to exercise any kind of willpower at all. The individual with the terribly accent was saved only by being bodily removed by another knight from the grounds, struggling all the way nonetheless, leaving the first to mutter most likely what were profanities beneath his breath.

"He came back, Auron?" Beatrix was grinning all over her face, almost on the verge of laughter.

Sir Auron breathed heavily. It wasn't his usual nature to so completely lose his calm...but damnit all! That Pierre was worse than an insect in the way that he persisted in coming back...

"That man is a blight to this planet. Does he not understand plain English, even through that horrific fake accent?!? Who let that him in anyway?!?!"

Auron paused in his ranting briefly to take in the sight of Beatrix and those in her custody.

"What are you doing back here so early anyway? The inspection went so quickly? How'd it go?"

Beatrix waved her hand airily. "Fine. It was confirmed that Heartless have been showing up around Fiweke too. Not many, but enough to be of concern. We have some interesting visitors here, as well. Two keyblade wielders-they say that they're meeting someone here at the castle. Leon, maybe?"

Auron's one good eye ran over the two youths in what was clearly a study of their worth. Finally, satisfied at what he saw, he turned back to Beatrix.

"I see. Who's the girl then?"

Kairi dismounted from her chocobo first, the others doing so directly after.

"My name is Kairi. That's Riku, and he's Sei."

Auron arched a brow in disbelief.

"A Princess of Heart, as well as two keyblade masters? An interesting crowd to be here at Hollow Bastion. Heh, Leonhart will want to see you three right away I'll warrant. We'll have someone take you up to the library to meet with him."

He looked to the side of the courtyard, and picked the first free person he set eye on.

"Hey, Tribal!" he barked. "If you've got nothing better to do than laze around, come over here!"

Their guide chosen was a young man with longish blonde hair and a tail. He had been flirting mercilessly with a raven-haired girl hugging a set of books to her chest, but was quick to follow Auron's orders when they were given. He was also quick to begin flirting with Kairi too, but abruptly stopped when he noticed the looks Riku and Sei were giving him. The steely look that the blonde gave him was bad enough, but he hated to imagine what was going on behind the blindfold of the silver-haired one.

Kairi had only been to Hollow Bastion once before, and even then she had only been fully conscious of that fact for a few minutes. Yet she could tell that much had changed at the castle in the five years since her last visit; everything seemed brighter, more cheerful and lived-in. This was also evident as they walked through the wide halls with their guide; people and children could be seen milling through the corridors and in the open rooms giving the castle life. Looking at it all, she had the strangest feeling that she had been there many more times than she thought she remembered.

They ascended a flight of stairs and there they were, surrounded by a collection of books that probably could have rivaled the university library's in Traverse Town. Tables were scattered throughout the room, several of them located next to the ceiling high windows on the far side. Glass doors opened out into wide terraces that overlooked the mirror-waters beyond. Aerith was seated at one of these tables, sipping at the contents of a ceramic mug as she read. She looked up as their guide entered the room and smiled, her eyes then passing over his three companions. They stopped on the single female of the group.

"Kairi!"

Aerith stood up.

"I can't believe this! How did you get past the world's barriers? How long has it been since we last saw each other?"

"It's good to see you too Aerith." Kairi said with a laugh.

"You just missed Yuffie! She was here only a few minutes ago... just wait until you hear the news!"

"What news?"

Aerith simply giggled madly and refused to elaborate. 

They ran through introductions, then sat down to wait for the arrival of Leon and the rest.

"What brings all of you back to Hollow Bastion?"

Kairi bit her lip. "It's a long story... I'd rather that we waited until everyone gets here before we start."

Aerith nodded and did not pursue the subject.

Their wait wasn't very long; apparently, news got around fast in Hollow Bastion. The moments passed, a happy succession of reunions that Kairi had never before expected to experience. Leon was the very last to arrive of those that would gather. 

"It's the damn Heartless again, isn't it?" Leon asked as he approached the table. "We had thought that after the worlds had been restored, that problem would be taken care of. I guess not."

The assembly would consist of the original four in the library, Leon, Yuffie, Beatrix and Auron, and one other person that Kairi didn't know. This one was introduced as Cloud Strife, Aerith's husband. 

"You're married?" Kairi asked in astonishment.

Aerith happily displayed the shiny wedding and engagement bands on her finger.

"Two years now." She said, taking Cloud's hand in hers as he stood next to her. The tall blonde man gazed over at Riku and Sei with a strange expression on his face. The same could be said of the two younger boys, although the reactions were decidedly different and mixed on the three of them. What could possibly be going on between the two of them was a complete mystery to Kairi, but she wasn't allowed any time to dwell on it.

"Hey! Don't completely hog the spotlight to yourself!" Yuffie said this with a mocking pout of indignation. "What about *my* engagement to Squall?"

She flung her arms around the aforementioned with undisguised affection. Leon began to make a half-hearted dissent against being called Squall and at having to be subject to this embarrassing public display, but ended up giving in to the brunette.

Yuffie and Leon-the oddest couple she had seen yet. Kairi grinned, deciding that what they said was true: opposites *did* attract.

"I have a few questions I'd like to ask." Leon began once things had quieted down. "Probably the others as well but I think we'd like to hear it all... from the beginning, if you don't mind."

So the story began, woven together from bits and pieces of events as alternatively Riku and Kairi recounted from their own point of views what had happened since before their encounter in Traverse town and then taking flight from there. Sei said very little throughout this, only adding details here and there.

"It seems that much has happened outside this world." Leon murmured as the tale came to an end. "Yet there are still so many questions to be answered..."

He put his hands together on the table.

"If you're looking for Sora, I'm afraid you won't find him here. We have as little knowledge about his whereabouts as you do."

Aerith spoke up.

"But we do have the only known records concerning the Heartless- I don't know if it will be any help or not, but you may see something that we missed..."

Yuffie jumped up from her seat. 

"I can go get if for you now if you want! I know exactly where it is."

She ran quickly into the maze of shelves, returning five minutes later with a shabby little book, relatively thin and worn about the edges. The ninja set it down on the table in front of Kairi, but it was Sei that would pick it up first.

He worked with tense, almost rigid movements, flipping open the yellowed pages to the very back without hesitation as if looking for something very specific. This in itself was very peculiar behavior to Kairi's eyes, but it wouldn't end with that. 

He stopped, stared with dim eyes as he found the blank side of the back cover but seemed to have found no sign of what he was looking for.

Kairi lightly touched his arm in concern. 

"Sei?"

"It's not here." 

He spoke in soft monotone.

"It's not here." He repeated this as though he was still having difficulty believing it. 

"The reports are incomplete."


	7. His Shards of Heart

Kairi sat on the balcony of the terrace outside the Hollow Bastion library, her legs dangling over its side and swinging in the cold air. Far below, a bright ribbon across the earth, were the glass falls, sun hitting and breaking across the surface in brilliant shards. Wind blew, rustling in the folds of her skirt and playing with the russet tendrils of her hair. She shivered slightly, but not from a chill. The Ansem reports lay by her side where she had placed them earlier, her mind still running over the last lines that had been written in the studies. 

She was trying not to worry too much about Riku and Sei and what could be happening in Verus.

"Is the core of the world's heart the world of the Heartless? I will pursue the answer there and become all knowing. My path is set. I shall seek out the wielder of the Keyblade, and the princesses. My body is too frail for such a journey, but I must do this. I will cast it off and plunge into the depths of darkness."

Sei had said that the reports were incomplete... but how could this be? Hadn't the studies and their records ended when Ansem gave himself up to the darkness? Of course, so many things about even that were confusing. Her mind wandered back to those words spoken only a little while before.

"There were thirteen reports-I can only find ten of those here...I'm certain that the remaining three hold vital information about Ansem's studies of the heart."

Leon had appraised the young man coolly at this statement, and then said what must have been on all of their minds.

"And you know this...how?"

Sei had shrugged and gone into his "enigmatic-man mode"-his mouth a closed, steel trap. Doing so had obviously loaded some distrust upon him, but that's Sei for you...

That probably wouldn't have been the end of that, but a messenger had burst into the library shortly afterwards with terrible news-the city was under attack from an army of Heartless. A hole in the air had opened up in the Theater District, from which the Heartless had begun to pore out of.

This, Kairi reflected, sounded a lot like what had happened in Traverse Town. She hadn't really thought about that day since, but now she wondered if there was somehow a connection between the two.

Riku and Sei had rushed off immediately the aid the city. They had told her not to come with them, that it'd be far too dangerous. She might have disregarded this warning had not just about everyone else told her the same. She gripped the side of the balcony tightly.

~Gods! I hate this...

"Kairi! What are you doing?!"

Kairi looked over her shoulder as Aerith ran out onto the terrace.

"Do you have a death wish or something? What if you slipped and fell?"

She crossed her hands over her chest and looked at Kairi reproachfully. Then her expression softened.

"Anxious about those boys down in Verus?" She asked. "Don't worry-I'm sure they'll be okay."

Kairi didn't respond immediately to the words. She climbed off the railing, her feet landing lightly on the cold stone.

"You know what you need?" Aerith said. "Something to keep you busy and take your mind off all this anxiety. Come on; make yourself useful and help me ready the supplies down in the Healers' ward. We'll need them when our fighters get back."

Aerith beckoned, and the two young women disappeared within the walls of the castle.

###

Both Riku and Sei had arrived to a scene of utter pandemonium. Nothing like this had occurred in the streets of Verus since the capture of the region by Maleficent fourteen years earlier. The people were trying their best to defend themselves against the sudden invasion, but it was clear that the entire city would fall if something was not done soon.

Several winged Heartless were shot from the sky as a flying, silver blade cut through the air. Sei caught the keyblade deftly as it returned to him in a narrow arc, and then rotated in his seat with his weapon at ready. Riku was mounted on the chocobo at his side, the two of them working off the other as the Heartless continued to come in waves, all claws and teeth and sinewy dark bodies.

An Armored Heartless leapt to attack Riku, only to be shattered by a brilliant flash from a lightning spell. A tall, pall woman stood at ready behind this. In one hand she held a moogle stuffed doll.

"Keyblade bearers, my name is Lulu!" 

She had to yell to be heard above the din of metal striking against metal and the explosion of magic.

"I can lead you to the break!"

Riku rode over to her and helped her onto the back of his chocobo.

"Don't disappear on us again." Riku called to Sei as Lulu steadied herself behind him. The platinum-blonde youth spared a quick glance in Riku's direction as he struck away a Dark Ball.

"...I won't."

Riku waited for Lulu to get a firm seat on the golden, flightless bird, before starting.

"Which way?"

Lulu pointed towards the direction they were to take and they were off, Sei following just behind. The Heartless continued to attack and snap at the heels of their mounts, but were held at bay by a barrage of spells and quick stabs of keyblades. Lulu was an adept black mage and Riku found himself becoming very grateful for the extra hand. Every once in awhile, a familiar face could be sighted among the chaos, fighting against the swarms of Heartless, but Riku forced himself to focus on navigating the anarchic streets.

The number of Heartless began to swell as they delved farther into the city and closer to their destination. Their progress slowed as this occurred, but they persisted to push forward. Finally, they were at the base of the stairs leading up to the Theater District. Chocobo claws clicked sharply as they struck against the stone steps leading up and then-

Riku and Lulu ducked just in time as to keep their heads from being taken off in the downward flight of a Heartless. Riku looked up as it spun in the air to face its targets. This one looked almost like a wyvern, only double the size and in a shade of purple so dark it was almost black. Riku thrust upward with his keyblade as the Heartless made a second pass about them, raking it across the belly. A burst of flame shot through the air as Lulu aimed a Firaga spell at it.

Sei, still a little ways behind them, paused indecisively as he took in the conflict. Riku waved him forward.

"Sei; seal the hole! We'll take care of this Heartless!"

Sei nodded, and spurred his mount ahead, the opening glowing in the air before him.

As in Traverse Town, the break between worlds appeared like a chunk of Ansem's Heartless insignia floating in air. Or was it bigger? Sei was nearly upon it when a shadowy creature burst from the opening, a wolf-like Heartless with buttery yellow eyes and bright white fangs, which it displayed in a malevolent grin. The chocobo shied back as the Heartless snarled and snapped its teeth. Seeing that the bird would be more hindrance than help, Sei jumped down to meet the Heartless on foot. 

Sei hesitated only for the moment it took to gauge the strength of the Heartless, then charged forward, the distance between the two combatants disappearing rapidly. With lightning fast movements, Sei executed a flurry of cuts that utterly demolished the creature; its smoky remains curled and blew away as Sei wasted little time and raised his keyblade to seal the door. This one closed as easily as the last had. However, even as the last traces of the opening had faded away, Sei stood examining the space narrowly. 

"Are you going to keep standing there looking at nothing?" 

Riku asked this lightly. Lulu was behind him, rummaging in one of the bags strapped to his chocobo.

"Because that's all that's there-nothing. I'd be able to see it now if the Heartless had left anything nasty. We shouldn't waste any more time here."

"You two aren't going anywhere just yet."

Both youths turned as Lulu approached with a potions bottle in one hand and several squares of clean cloth in the other, apparently pilfered from the chocobo saddlebags.

"I can't let you leave until we've had you cleaned up first." She informed them calmly. 

She pored some of the clear liquid out onto the cloths and gave them to Riku and Sei, both of whom which accepted the cloths and began cleaning their various injuries. Leon and Cloud arrived just as they were stowing the items away. Hollow Bastion's king surveyed the area, his hand resting carelessly on the hilt of his gunblade

"I'm glad to see that was taken care of quickly."

Riku unscrewed a water bottle that he found within a bag and took a gulp of the contents.

"How's the situation going elsewhere?" The young man asked.

He passed the bottle to Sei, who took the drink gratefully.

"The number of Heartless has thinned dramatically," Leon replied. "I'm assuming that would be on your part. What was left is being taken care of."

Despite his easy words, there was no hiding his agitation about the very sudden occurrence.

"I wonder," Cloud remarked. "If this has anything to do with your arrival today."

Riku glanced at the older man sharply. 

"Possibly." He conceded noncommittally. The possibilities that this implied ran inside his mind.

The Heartless could have been breaking through the worlds on their own... or someone could have been helping them. An image of Ansem's face surfaced in his mind, but he brushed it away with a mental snarl. Ansem was gone, dead, defeated by Sora five years ago at the door of Kingdom Hearts. The man served as a bitter reminder of what Riku had succumbed to, and of which still lingered inside him. The idea that Ansem was somehow involved with this again... it was out of the question.

But, it was possible that someone or something else was meddling with the Heartless again. Perhaps this mysterious new enemy, assuming there was one, would reveal themselves soon?

###

The hours passed quickly after the Heartless attack on the city. Once things had calmed down somewhat, Riku and Sei returned to the castle. 

The first signs of dusk began to show in the sky, a darkening about the edges of the blue dome. Sei stood in a small practice yard beneath this dappled light, a sword strapped to each side of his waist.

Two silver blades glittered in the declining sunlight as they were pulled out of their cases. Their wielder paused for a moment, tested the weight and balance in each hand. Satisfied, he fell into a guard stance and then began an elaborate pattern with the dual swords. Although much time had passed since he had last executed these movements, he could feel himself fall into the familiar steps, limbs shifting with a fluid ease.

Block... right-cut, left-cut... jump-spin, forward-cut, forward-cut... down and side-cutting...return to guard, and...

He finished the form, spinning the swords twice with a rotation of his wrists and gracefully returning them to their casings. A figure stood in the pale shadows, leaning against the wall and watching the performance.

"Impressive work..." Cloud said casually. "For someone who usually fights Heartless with a giant key."

"Heh...thanks." Sei flicked back tendrils of blonde hair that had begun to fall in front of his face. "Although, I'm not sure whether or not to take that as a compliment."

A male voice spoke from behind Cloud with mocking indignation.

"I should hope that was a compliment." 

Riku climbed onto the wall and was perched there, one leg pulled up onto the stone and the other hanging over the edge.

"It takes a real man to fight evil with blunt objects."

Cloud smirked, his hands crossed over his chest.

"Is that so?"

"Without question. Who needs a Buster Sword when you have the Giant House-key of Doom?"

Sei rolled his eyes with a slight smile at Riku's jest, then returned to his drills.

A moment of companionable silence proceeded between the two spectators, broken only by the sound of metal through air before Cloud spoke again.

"You're still tied to the darkness."

Riku looked sideways down at Cloud, his face unreadable.

"...so you could tell. I suppose blindfolds won't hide it from everyone."

He sat up and put his hands together on his knees. 

"But... there's a shadow over your heart as well... a brush with the darkness? I bet there's a story behind you." 

Cloud shrugged.

"You could say that."

A pause as they watched Sei finish with a back-kick towards an invisible enemy; he then pivoted on his heels as to finish another with a cut from both swords.

"Your friend Sora has probably come a long ways as a fighter by now."

Riku thought about the Sora he remembered from long ago, a radical smile on such an innocent face. That Fate had chosen such a person to be a fighter and light's paladin... it was sad, really. What a life to force on someone so young. Then again, fate had done a lot of things in its history he couldn't say that he had any love for... 

"You two have met?"

"We fought twice in the Olympus Coliseum," Cloud said with apparent indifference. "Five years ago in a tournament."

"You're kidding." 

Riku tried to envision the scene in his mind.

"Don't tell me he won."

It really was too much, this image of fourteen year-old Sora matched against a man with a bad-ass sword literally larger then he was. 

"Then I won't."

Riku stared at Cloud. Then he realized Cloud was laughing: silently, albeit, but laughing all the same.

"Do you honestly believe I'd let a fourteen-year old best me in a fight... and with a key for a weapon, no less?"

Riku grinned and pretended to mull this over.

"I don't know. You might have felt sorry for him. Otherwise though, I'd have to say the poor guy never would have had a chance..."

Cloud just shook his head, stick chuckling. Riku simple lay back down the top of the wall, a smile lightening his face.

###

Aerith had insisted that Kairi borrow a nice outfit to wear to the dinner that night. She was, after all, a princess of heart and a special guest of Hollow Bastion. 

"And with that in mind, you'll most definitely have to look the part." Aerith told Kairi firmly as she led the girl into the room. The older brunette threw open the closet door, switching on an over-hanging light with a deft finger.

"I can probably find you something in here."

The light danced upon racks of beautiful cut and designed skirts, dresses, and blouses. Footwear was lined in tidy rows at the bottom, and a pile of silky ribbons and ornamental pins were stored in a box near the top.

"Something simple, but elegant." Aerith murmured. "And some purple would look lovely with your hair."

"Are you sure about letting me borrow any of this?" Kairi stammered. "I mean, it's all so nice, I couldn't possibly-"

Aerith turned to giver her an incredulous look.

"Don't be ridiculous. How would I look if you showed up in anything less than the best of what we could offer?" Aerith demanded, thrusting aside a brilliant red skirt. "Just, sit down on the bed over there while I take a look through these-"

Kairi meekly did as she was told, watching Aerith's back as she hunted through the piles of garments. There was a knock at the door, and Yuffie poked her head in with a smile. Her dark hair looked rumpled, and her face had a faint sheen of sweat. When she stepped in, Kairi found that the ninja's outfit was covered with a fine layer of dust.

"Just wanted to pop by to see how you two were doing." Yuffie announced.

Aerith barely spared her a glance as she continued her search.

"Fine; I'm just getting something for Kairi to wear for dinner." Aerith threw a dress onto the bed, and then eyeing a pair of sandals at the bottom of the closet thoughtfully. "How did the training go today?" The sandals went onto the bed as well.

Yuffie's job was to train the new recruits in unarmed combat, and then a few of the more advanced trainees in fighting with throwing stars. She was notorious for being absolutely merciless in her drills, although she was not completely unpopular with the students themselves. 

The young woman shrugged, and plopped down onto the bed beside Kairi.

"As usual I guess." She examined the small pile of clothing next to Kairi with interest as she spoke. "Their numbers will be thinning soon, no doubt, with the slackers leaving when they figure out they can't handle a little hard work."

"Thanks to you, probably. And get off the bed," Aerith ordered absently. "You're filthy right now."

Yuffie stuck her tongue out at Aerith's back and didn't budge. She turned to Kairi instead.

"So, living with two guys for the past several weeks-I bet it can be a real pain sometimes, right?" Yuffie asked. Then she added with a wicked grin, "But I suppose, in compensation, at least they're two very *attractive* guys."

Kairi shrugged, smiling slightly in amusement. "It's not as bad as you make it sound. The kind of life-styles they've probably had these past several years has made them really mature-they seem so different from those boys back on the island."

Yuffie sighed in understanding.

"I know what you mean. Squall changed so much after the whole thing with the Heartless and our Hollow Bastion."

Yuffie eyes followed Aerith's movements across the room for a moment, and then she stood up, stretching towards the ceiling.

"Well, I'd better get going." Yuffie declared with a yawn. "Can't eat at the front table with Squall looking like this."

"And it's about time." Aerith agreed, shutting the closet door.

"Blah, blah, blah." Yuffie muttered cheekily as she left. 

Aerith strode over to pick up the outfit she had chosen, displaying it for Kairi's approval. "This all right?"

"It's perfect." Kairi said sincerely. Aerith smiled in satisfaction.

"Good." She laid the clothes back down beside Kairi. 

"I need to get ready myself, so just get dressed and I'll meet you down in the dining hall. You know where that is, right?"

Kairi nodded.

"All right. See you in a bit, Kairi."

Kairi waved as Aerith exited the room, then set about changing her attire.

The dining hall had been built to accommodate all the residents of Hollow Bastion. The evening meal never had been anything very formal-even if most of the older inhabitants had been interested in doing that sort of thing every night (goddess forbid so many stuffed-shirts beneath one roof), the population of kids in residence would have made that quite impossible to carry out. The design of the chamber, however, seemed to imply the exact opposite of this reality: the architecture was the stuff of dreams, with its elegant carvings and columns and walls of rosy marble. Not, Kairi thought, unlike much of the rest of the castle and its surrounding lands. Several chandeliers hung from the ceiling, orbs of white mage-fire suspended between the glass and metal and well lighting the room. 

Riku was already standing near the front table, looking vaguely uncomfortable behind the band of his blindfold. He turned his head and caught sight of Kairi.

"You're looking very pretty tonight."

Kairi blushed, smoothing imaginary wrinkles on the front of her skirt with an absent movement of her hands. She was wearing a pale lavender dress, sleeveless, with white and dark purple trim; her hair was done up with plain silver pins and a purple blossom.

"Thank you...you look very nice too."

She looked around, searching for the other member of their little group.

"Where's Sei?"

"Not here yet, is he? He said he was hungry..." 

He paused, and then shrugged carelessly. "Last I heard from him, he said he'd head up to the library for a little while before dinner; maybe he lost track of time."

"Do you think maybe I should go get him?"

"I wouldn't worry about it...he's probably on his way right now."

They took their seats at the table. The room gradually filled, and people found their places for the evening meal. Despite the passing time, Sei's chair remained empty. Kairi gazed at his unfilled place for a moment before making up her mind and standing up from her seat.

"Riku...I'll just be a minute, okay? I'm going to go get Sei; whatever he's doing, I don't think he meant to miss dinner over it."

Riku looked up from playing with his glass, his fingers still clasped around the delicate stem.

"All right; try not to take too long. Do you know the way?"

Kairi nodded and began to walk briskly out of the room and through the wide halls. The sky outside had darkened into dusk, and bright lamps had been switched on to lighten the empty corridors. The library was not located too far from the dining hall, and it did not take her long to reach its doors. 

At first the room seemed unoccupied; Kairi looked around in disappointment, wondering if perhaps she had just missed Sei or if he had wandered off to some other room. A cool wind drifted through the chamber, teasing at her hair and skirt. She raised her eyes towards the side of the room and for the first time noticing the open terrace doors. As she approached these, Sei fell into her line of vision. His back was to her, so he did not immediately recognize her presence. Kairi opened her mouth to call him, but her voice died in her throat before any sound had left it. 

~Oh...my...God...

A tall, silver-haired figure swept into view, burning red eyes surveying his adversary mockingly.

"So we meet at last."

Sei returned the gaze with icy coldness. 

"I was searching for you too. Although my existence is limited, I can still feel you... the darkness that existed in front of my own eyes. You are my darkness."

Kairi gasped, but Ansem only laughed calmly, procuring a darkly colored swallow and swinging it in a smooth arc.

"If that is so, then I shall draw you deeper into that darkness from where all hearts have come... and all hearts shall return."

  
Sei unsheathed two silvery blades in response to these words and held them in a guard stance. The faded outline of a single white wing appeared from his right shoulder blade. A black, leathery one emerged from Ansem's left. This vision quickly faded as the two opponents leapt to battle.

"Sei!"

Kairi ran forward with no thought in her mind except to somehow help Sei. Neither combatant seemed to hear her, though the moment she crossed the door, an opalescent force field of some sort had appeared to block the only exit. She looked back at it with the feeling that she had just made a terrible mistake. The sound of steel clashing against steel brought her attention back to the battle at hand.

###

The glass crashed to the ground, shattering, as droplets of garnet-colored liquid clung and spread on the tablecloth. Yuffie turned her head to the side in concern, wondering if the lit room had been too much for Riku's "special" eyesight and if he had accidentally knocked down his glass.

"Don't worry about it Riku-"

Yuffie broke off as she took in Riku's rigid frame and tightly clenched fists. He was swearing and muttering under his breath.

"...he's here...Gods, I can't believe this..."

Then something seemed to click inside his mind, and fear abruptly crept into his voice to replace the former vehemence.

"Oh no..."

"Riku; what is it?"

But Riku had already stood up from his seat and rushed out of the room, ignoring Yuffie's inquiry.

"Leon!"

Yuffie touched her fiancé's shoulder to get his attention.

"Leon, I think something's wrong-Sei's gone, Kairi still hasn't gotten back, and now Riku's run off...I'm getting a bad feeling about all this."

"What?"

Leon looked past Yuffie and, sure enough, all three seats were empty.

"Damnit, this day just keeps getting better and better doesn't it?"

The two of them, joined by Cloud and Aerith, hurried out of the hall. They arrived only just after Riku. The silver-haired youth rammed a fist against the clear wall separating them from the three on the balcony.

"No!"

He hissed in pain as his fist hit the force field.

"Don't waste your energy." Leon stood next to Riku, observing the events unfolding before them behind the screen. "The wall probably goes all around the area and there'll be no way for you to breach it. You'll just have to trust your friends to get through this one alive on their own."

Riku glared venom at Leon-or, tried to anyway. But the older man was right, much as he hated to admit it, and he could only watched with growing anxiety as Ansem and Sei continued to exchange blows.

It appeared at first that neither side would gain an upper hand. The two fighters were perfectly matched against each other, both of them refusing to show any signs of weakness as they struck again and again. Sei's dual swords made it easier from him to balance protecting himself against and attacking the other man. Watching this, however, Kairi still found it strange that Sei had chosen to battle with these rather than his keyblade, Oathkeeper.

Sei advanced forward, feinting with one sword while cutting sideways with the other. Ansem caught the edges of the swords with the side of his swallow, and then reversed the arc to strike in return at the slightly smaller youth. Sei jumped back and to the side, following this up with a right-cut.

Then Ansem caught the side of Sei's head with the flat of his blade. Disoriented from the blow, he was pushed back and down as he was forced to revert to a defensive line. One hand braced his body up as he was pressed to the ground. The other arm held his sword up in a block against Ansem's blade. But Ansem never did make that final blow... instead, he held out one hand as if to take a hold of Sei...

...or as if in invitation.

"Yield yourself to the darkness!"

Sei flinched away, his eyes narrowed and his mouth set in a thin grimace. Ansem merely chuckled at this gesture of defiance and reached down.

"No!"

A voice had risen before Ansem could touch Sei; it was faint, as if heard through a distance.

~It sounds so familiar...

Ansem looked down at Sei in fascination.

"This is impossible-"

A dim, glowing figure stood before Sei, his arms outstretched as he shielded the youth. He was clothed entirely in black, with even his face hidden in a black hood. Only a pale sliver of his profile was showing.

"This one will not be claimed by the darkness."

None of the figures moved. Time seemed to stop... and then Kairi knew.

~I'm coming Sora

She ran towards them. As she touched Sei, her body seemed to pass through his. The air around them blurred and Kairi, the unknown, and Ansem vanished. 

Sei's eyes glassed and his body fell to the floor. At this point the force field vanished, but there was nothing more that anyone could do, but wait.

Riku crouched down beside Sei's prone body, feeling what seemed a hundred conflicting emotions storming inside his mind, but voicing only one.

"Don't get yourself killed Kairi..."


	8. Visions of a Blue Sky

A/N:

Responses to Reviews -

Andiavas: I'm starting to like the Sei and Kairi couple ^_^ but that's just me! XD it's so cute when I see them together!

::blinks:: I never saw that one coming from a reader. 

Lol. Actually, I just had to comment on this since I never really thought oc/canon romances to be particularly popular these parts (or anywhere really).

To Firefly, I was referring to times that Kairi could actually remember being in Hollow Bastion (unless there was something in the game that said that she *did* remember having lived there before). Sorry for any confusion.

Comments on Chapter -

Sorry for the delay. This one has gone through several drafts before I was quite satisfied with it. And for all you people, I've resorted to posting the link to the picture I drew for Into the Light on my author's profile (still can't figure out why the link keeps disappearing). So check that out if you're interested.

###

~Is this all just a dream...?

The quiet before a storm. 

A suspension in inexistence. 

Words illuminated in white flickered before Kairi's eyes.

/The memory beyond...of something so natural.../

She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling completely alone in the vast space of emptiness.

~Or perhaps... a vision...?

/Maybe our journey meant nothing at all/

The silence was broken by the sound of water droplets hitting a liquid surface in glass cascades. The sound increased in volume until Kairi realized that what she was hearing was rain. Footsteps joined the showers, and a hooded figure walked into the square. 

The setting was undoubtedly Traverse Town while the figure she saw to be Sei. Yet everything seemed so... unreal. Like a dream, she found herself repeating.

A flash of blinding light, followed by a crack of thunder and the scene shifted. Sei was in the same position as he had been before, only now he held Oblivion and Oathkeeper in each hand. An army of Heartless had risen and surrounded him in that time. Kairi watched as the closest of the creatures launched themselves at Sei, but were dispelled in coils of smoke and shadow in the flicker-fire movements of his keyblades. Sei's motions were like water, powerful and fluid as he jumped and struck in time to each assault, taking down several Heartless with one sweep and kick.

  
Then, in defiance of all laws of gravity, Sei leapt high into the air and began to destroy all those Heartless that followed him, spinning to meet his opponents and executing a double round of Strike Raid before returning to the ground. No sooner had he touched earth, he flipped up again, only to land several yards away at the base of the tallest building-there seemed no end to the ocean of Heartless. 

Sei looked up, and Kairi followed the movement to make out another person on the roof of the building-Riku. Their gazes met despite the impossible distance between them. Sei bound up onto the side of the building and began to run up its side to meet the blindfolded young man at its peak. The Heartless gave chase but were overpowered with ease. Halfway up the building's length, Sei tossed Oblivion into the air and Riku leapt from the roof. Kairi tried to cry out at this, but found that her, voice if not her entire presence, had become nothing. Riku caught the keyblade as it flew towards him. 

/The thirteenth order/

Several screens were placed at the top of the building. On the largest of them an image of Kairi's fourteen-year old self flickered into view. The two young men, one hooded and one blindfolded, passed each other across this screen, exchanging glances as they part ways once again...  
  


/Is this the answer you've been looking for? /

Kairi found herself again enshrouded in darkness...

No.

An existence of nothing.

There was a brief image of King Mickey in a stylized coat and hood.

/Who is Nobody, you ask? They are the non-existent ones/

A great roar filled her ears, nulling her senses until she felt her feet touch solid earth once more.

Standing beneath a blanket of cold night sky and stars and white clouds, a fourteen-year old boy stared upwards on the branching of four paths in an endless field.

Kairi reached out towards the young boy, but the scene altered once again. This time, she was on a dark and desolate beach, eerie rock formations reaching towards the heavens. A full moon lay over the horizon, illuminating a bottle in the surf. A sound like glass chimes accompanied the words to next appear.

/A fragmented tale

A world without you

The eyes will close/

A hooded figure sat on the rocks half sunk in the sand, his or her back toward Kairi. Another hooded figure walks towards this one; a profile is visible sticking out of the hood. It was the same person that had shielded Sei. Or was it? Same, yet not the same... Kairi felt a kind of numbness spread through her body as she mouthed the name of the person she had been waiting to find for so long.

~Sora...

The person on the rocks turned to speak. Her voice was enough to take away the hopelessness that Kairi had begun to feel change it into shock.

"He looks just like you."

A fourteen-year old Sora flew across the waves in the distance. The older Sora on the beach did not reply directly to this statement. Something seemed to be on his mind.

"Everything is coming back to me, the true..."

More words of light shone through the darkness, almost too fast for her to make out, as everything faded into black.

/Light and darkness

The present world

Separation. The world in between = the forgotten world/

Then there was only Kairi and the girl of the rocks. The unknown turned. A shadow still covered the upper-half of her face, although her identity had been revealed the moment she had spoken. Kairi knew that if the hood had been drawn back, she would be facing a mirror image of herself.

/Change- the third key/

The other girl seemed sad somehow, but she spoke with a clear, unwavering voice.

"Return to this world in its true form, and accept your destiny."

/Behind the darkness...does not equal the door to the light/

No sooner had the hooded Kairi finished speaking, she felt herself being pulled away from the vision but fought desperately.

~No! Not without Sora!

The feeling of being torn back to the real world became stronger. With every ounce of the strength left in her, she screamed his name.

"Sora!!!"

...

Utter silence. 

Had she failed? 

~His voice...it's left me.

She closed her eyes and surrendered to the void. There was a glimmering of light in the infinite expanse but she barely heard the words that echoed faintly from them.

"I'm coming Kairi...!"

Her eyes snapped open, widened, and she held out her hand to catch the other that reached out for hers. Fingertips touched, and wove together in tight embrace. Then they disappeared, gone as if never there.

A final light blazed forth in closing.

/Paradise/

###

An hour had passed since the conflict between Sei and Ansem in the library. Sei had been moved to a room in the Healer's Ward, although he had yet to show any signs of recovery. Ansem and Kairi had also not reappeared. Riku had remained behind in the library in the case that either of them resurfaced in the area. Cloud stood to one side of the room, watching the unconscious youth with an unreadable expression.

Sei's body convulsed violently on the bed, his hands clutch tightly at the white sheets. The misty outline of a white-wing spread from his right-shoulder, flapping weakly. Simultaneously, a leathery one identical to Ansem's unfolded on his opposite side. Something flickered in Cloud's eyes at the occurrence. It wasn't until after the wings had dissolved from view that Sei finally seemed to calm, relaxing back into the bed. Aerith let out a long breath and stepped back, relieved at last at this sign of improvement. She felt her the comforting weight of Cloud's arms about her slim shoulders as he joined at her side.

"I can't believe all this." Aerith murmured. "What with the return of Ansem, and the Heartless...and now Kairi and Sei. Do you think Ansem will try to recapture Hollow Bastion?"

Aerith didn't hear any response, and for several minutes, Aerith thought he wouldn't answer. His voice woke her from her thickening sense of drowsiness.

"I don't think that is something we will have to worry about."

Aerith looked up at Cloud with soft inquiring, but abruptly turned her head when she noticed that his eyes have taken up a focus elsewhere. Two figures had materialized in a thin trail of light, barely conscious, at the foot of Sei's bed. They were clasped in each other's arms, looking as if the world would end before they would willingly let go.

Sora's head was lying on Kairi's chest, tendrils of his thick brown hair gently tickling her chin. Her mind felt sluggish, but with a sort of dream-like content and bliss. This was the moment that she had been working towards all this time; for now, he was all she needed. A tear slid down her cheek.

~This time, I'll protect you Sora

She felt something wet on her shoulder, and realized Sora was crying too. But this was for something else-an apology?

"I'm sorry Kairi..." To her dismay, he was almost sobbing now. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you...all along..."

His words were cut short as Kairi pulled him closer to her. It didn't matter; don't worry Sora. Nothing mattered, now that she knew he was all right and they were together.

"Shh...it's okay Sora. Don't cry..."

She remembered the day they had been separated at the door of Kingdom Hearts, and then later, the drawings she had come upon in their secret place. She smiled at the memory of such sweet innocence. They didn't need a poapou to prove it-their fates had already been long intertwined.

Riku had been told of the news immediately. He arrived at the room just as Kairi and Sora were being gently detached from each other and carried to more suitable sleeping quarters elsewhere. A slight smile lifted at Riku's features as he studied his old friend. Although older, Sora had still retained his boyishly cut features and unruly, brown hair. There was nothing much about his appearance that would mark considerable change from the years. Yet something had changed, something significant, although he couldn't immediately identify what it was. He wondered what exactly had happened to Sora all this time, and his gaze shifted towards Sei on the bed. He sensed something quite definite about Sei now, and wasn't altogether sure how he felt about it. At least, he hoped, a decent explanation would be offered by the enigmatic young man soon; it was about time that this mystery was cleared up.

Sei awoke early the next morning. However, if he had been hoping to avoid any confrontations about his identity, his hopes would prove quite useless. Riku was peaceably perched on a chair in the corner of the room, reading in the dappled shadows. A pair of blindfolded eyes turned to focus on the other youth as he awkwardly sat up in bed, any thoughts of further sleep now lost. 

"Sleep well?" Riku asked in cool voice.

He didn't move from his seat, only waiting in silence for Sei's next words. He made it obvious that he wasn't planning on leaving quickly.

"I suppose...you're waiting for an explanation. And you're not about to wait for everyone else to hear it."

"If its not too much trouble." Riku replied sardonically.

Sei laughed slightly, but without any humor in his voice. "Fate seems to have had a strange sense of humor, to have arranged it all like this."

At length, after collecting his thoughts, he began.

Meanwhile, in another part of the castle, Kairi opened the door from her bedroom and began to walk down the sun-lit hall outside it. She had dressed in a clean new skirt with floral print splashed across the front, and wore a thalassa shell strung on a thin silver chain. A bright smile was shining on her face and there was a cheery briskness to her step could not have been said to have been evident before. She stopped a boy in the hall, and after asking for the directions, was promptly on her way again.

So it hadn't been a dream. When she had found herself again in the arms of Sora...it had all been real. In his arms... she found herself blushing at the memory but at the same time, deliriously happy. She couldn't make much sense of what had happened that night, but she couldn't bring herself to care too much about that. At last she reached the door to his room, but it was as if seeing that closed door before her very eyes brought her back to her senses. 

~Goddess, what am I supposed to do? I can't just walk in there like this.

Five years had passed since they had last really been together. So how was she supposed to act now, upon meeting Sora once again? What should she say? And what were Sora's feelings about all this? She chewed her lower lip in agitation, her hand hovering just over the wood of the door. Picking up her resolve, she took a deep breath to calm rapidly fraying nerves and knocked lightly on the door. Minutes passed, but she couldn't hear anyone or anything moving inside. Uneasy thoughts began to plague her mind.

~What if he's already left? Or maybe he's still tired, and if that's the case I shouldn't bother him. Or maybe I've got the wrong room...

Kairi may have left right then and there, had not the door swung open, nearly smacking her in the nose. A rumpled looking nineteen-year old stood framed in the opening. He wasn't wearing a shirt and had obviously just yanked on a pair of pants over his boxers. Shirtless males were never an uncommon sight back at the islands, but she found herself turning a faint shade of red anyway.

~Don't stare at his chest...

He was still only half-awake from the looks of it, blearily rubbing at his eyes and trying not to squint too much in the sudden burst of light from the outside corridor. 

~...Whatever you do, don't stare at his chest...

Kairi could feel her thoughts becoming more desperate.

~You *can't* have found him after all these years, to spend the first moments of it ogling his body...

Kairi wasn't allowed to finish that train of thought. Sora had, more or less, completely woken. Suddenly, she found his arms around her in an embrace that was, though tight and protective, still gentle.

"Sora..."

Something was different about him; she could tell this even as she felt his skin against hers and breathed in his clean scent. Everything was going to be all right, wouldn't it? A former euphoria that had felt so real, quickly fading away...she wasn't so sure about anything anymore. And she didn't even know why. A moment passed, and Sora let go with a look of regret.

"I'm sorry...I shouldn't have-"

"No, no, it's all right," Kairi stammered, trying to pull herself together. A trace of Sora's familiar smile tugged at his mouth as he led her inside.

"Where have you been all this time?" Kairi asked. "What have you been doing?" 

She sad down on the edge of his bed while Sora pulled on a red t-shirt over his black pants. A blue and silver belt was added to the outfit, then a silver chain around his neck with a crown-shaped pendent.

"I want to hear about it all."

"All of it?" Sora fell into the bed beside her.

Kairi shoved him playfully on the shoulder. "Of course. Right from the beginning, after Goofy and Donald were sent back to Disney Castle and everyone lost track of where you were."

Then she sobered. "I'm serious. You've worried me too much for you to not at least tell me this much."

Sora sat up, putting his hands on his knees. "You're right; I'm sorry Kairi."

She scowled. "And stop apologizing!"

Sora chuckled. "Fine, fine. I'll stop apologizing, and I'll tell you everything."

"It began with that guy who offered to help us on Sperare. After that spell which was supposed to get us through the walls of the worlds, something completely unexpected happened. I became caught in this vast emptiness, a place I can't describe of being anything except, well, nothing. I was stuck between the worlds." He paused, then corrected himself. "Or, at least my heart had been."

"What do you mean, 'at least your heart'?"

"Exactly what I said. My body had become separated from my heart, while my heart was left trapped. I was stuck there for five years before anyone found me. By then, I had begun to slowly loose most of my memories. The only thing I could recall when Sei had found me-"

"Wait a minute!" Kairi interrupted. "Sei?!?"

"Yes, and if you'd let me finish, I'll explain. So, the only thing I could recall was that I had been searching for something, something that had to do with the light, and I hung onto that when I made the deal with Sei. Sei didn't have all his heart then, and really not all of his body either, and he was having trouble sticking it out in the worlds. So we made an agreement: we'd share bodies for a time. I'd be able to get out of that prison and look for whatever it was I'd been looking for, and Sei would have the advantage of another heart's strength to keep him rooted in the present worlds."

"And he never realized who you were?"

"Oh, we'd both get an idea eventually. Sei had been very confused (to say the least) when he could suddenly wield two keyblades but he never made any connections until later, when we started to show strong feelings around you. I say we, because a side effect of mixing a complete heart and a half-heart together in one body seemed to be that we merged together in certain ways. Sometimes, quite frankly, it was difficult deciding whose feelings were whose."

Kairi listened to Sora's words with increasingly mixed feelings. She found herself looking at everything that happened to them for the past several weeks in a new light. Sora had been with them all along? Right under their very noses? And what did all this say about Sei? Just as she thought things would become clearer...she put her head in her hands with a moan.

~Aii...so confusing...

"Who *is* Sei anyway?"

Sora's expression was thoughtful as her answered.

"I can't say for sure, though I have my suspicions. We didn't share memories or thoughts, so we'll just have to make sure we take a moment to clear things up with him, won't we?"

His tone was joking, but she could tell there was something else about Sei he wasn't telling.

Kairi looked up into Sora's face and her lips tightened into a frown.

"Sora, I just noticed something about your eyes..."

Sora looked at her with a blank expression, clearly in confusion.

"Your eyes used to be blue, but now there's some gold in them too."

Quite a bit, actually, and more than was good for comfort. Shifting from blue to gold...and for a moment, she was sure they had been almost glowing... perhaps only her imagination?

"Forget it. It's nothing."

Sora didn't appear convinced, but he did not pursue the subject. 

He stood up from the bed and stretched lazily. "Hey; how about we head down to the dining hall for some breakfast?"

"Already thinking about your stomach?" Kairi teased, any feelings of disquiet lifted. "Okay. Let's go now."

Kairi held onto Sora's arm as they left the room, enjoying the feeling of being so close to him.

"I'm glad you're back Sora."

Sora smiled and kissed her lightly on her forehead.

"No matter where our roads take us, I promise we'll always be together in the end."

###

Not too far away from this couple in Hollow Bastion, Riku was listening to the other side of the story, the part that had been kept a mystery even to Sora.

"Ansem was a man who, in his studies of the Heartless, lost himself to the darkness. Yet he never really became a Heartless, did he? He had retained his memory, his mind, and to some extent his physical form, or at the very least some semblance of it. When Ansem gave up his body fourteen years ago to pursue in worldly pursuits, he also left behind a piece of his heart-me. Which is why he never really became a Heartless; your entire heart must be consumed before that metamorphosis of it can occur."

"So in a way, I am Ansem. I am the part of his heart that never succumbed to this power, though why is still a mystery to me. By all accounts, there should have been no reason for the separation of the heart. In any case, I am the light, and Ansem is my darkness, and although both parts of my heart have reunited and the light seems dominant, the darkness has not disappeared. Not really, anyway."

"For awhile, I drifted, unable to do very much with only half a heart. Nine years passed, and I met Sora in a tiny pocket of the worlds. We briefly sparred, then parted ways once again. Five years later, I came upon a heart caught between the webbings of the worlds. It said that it had been trapped here for quite some time, and it asked for my help. It wanted again to walk the worlds, but had lost its body to some unknown force. It was searching for something, but had lost its memories of what this was, or even who it was. Perhaps we could share bodies, it said, if only for a little while. Perhaps it'd regain its memories. In return for this favor, it would aid in strengthening me-those days, it was getting increasingly more and more difficult for me to keep a firm hold on the physical planes, and I gladly accepted the heart's offer."

Sei frowned slightly at this point.

"Then, last night, I met again with Ansem. Call it a showdown of fate, if you will, between light and darkness of the heart. However, as I said before, Ansem is still something that exists inside me. I'm sure its something that has its signs in my physical appearance; the will of the heart seem to have an effect on this."

Riku nodded, as the pieces of this puzzle slowly came together. Holes still arose in the image, but at least some things were beginning to make sense. As for Sei's appearance...studying him now, there were changes. His hair had lengthened, lost their toffee-colored shade and become more silvery in sheen. His tan had returned with a vengeance. He also seemed to have aged a few years, though nothing truly drastic.

"Cloud seemed to know something about all this." Riku commented.

"Something similar happened to him, an experiment of Ansem's." The words Sei spoke sounded bitter, even to his own ears. "His other half was called Sephiroth. The difference between our situations though, was that the break had not been nearly so clear as mine. Darkness lingered with light, and light with darkness in both halves of the heart."

Riku nodded, and took a moment to digest all this. Phil had mentioned some 'one-winged weirdoes' at the coliseum at the tournament Sora had participated in.

"I remember now, where those reports are." Sei said this almost as an afterthought, abruptly changing the subject. For a moment, Riku wasn't sure what Sei was referring to. Then he recalled what Sei had said the other day about incomplete Ansem reports. 

"Ansem and I had shared a bond of sorts, but only through emotions, and not memories or thoughts. Now that we have joined, I have access to some information I would not otherwise have."

Riku felt only vague interest on this matter, but decided to go along with it.

"Where are they?"

"They'd be in the old laboratory. I should probably get them now, see what else the reports have to offer."

"I'll go with you."

Riku waited for Sei to change into fresh set of clothes, then they set off together through the halls. Sei stopped at a large crystal set into the wall. Several of these were set throughout Hollow Bastion, and could serve as a faster method of moving around the enormous grounds, although few people these days knew how to use them. Sei set about entering the correct coordinates, and they were swiftly transported to the entrance of what had once been Ansem's laboratories. The disuse and neglect of the dark chamber was obvious; a fine layer of dust had coated the floors, stone tables, and various broken instruments. The rubble and wreckage from whatever encounters had occurred in the room had been left as they were from those years past. Sei walked purposefully through the room, and began to rummage through the broken remains of what turned out to be a panel in the wall. The reports were where he had thought, weathered but intact and reasonably readable.

"That was easy," Riku remarked, a little surprised.

Sei chuckled. "If only all our own adventures were that simple."

Both of them paused to take a look around at the room, the place where it seemed that all the troubles of Heartless and the worlds had begun. Old memories began to surface in Riku's mind as he surveyed the area of where he, Sora, Kairi, and Ansem had conflicted after Maleficent's defeat. How strange, the way things had turned out. He looked sideways at Sei. What was the other youth thinking of now, gazing at what had once been the center of his life's work? He frowned; it was too strange, thinking of Sei in that way.

"Do you hate me, now that you know?" 

The question seemed out of the blue; Sei's voice was clear and emotionless, in a manner that hid all his feelings about the entire issue. 

Riku smiled sadly. "No, I don't hate you. I hate the darkness of your heart, and the man that called himself the champion of darkness, but I don't hate you. Besides, it'd be foolish of me, to disregard all these past weeks that you've been with us, because of Ansem. I like to think that you've proved yourself to be more than just a capable ally-it's like what I'm sure Kairi's been trying to tell you."

"Although, there has been something bothering me: you said that you began to suspect, possibly even knew, about Sora, quite recently. Why didn't you tell any of us? Tell Kairi? I'm sure you didn't *like* seeing her in that kind of pain of wondering still where Sora was, if he was even alive."

Sei looked down, at once uncomfortable and refusing to meet Riku's gaze.

"Sora wouldn't allow me. He hated to give Kairi any sense of false hope, since we didn't know if there was any way of getting Sora back his body. We didn't really know very much of how we were going to deal with this and I'm surprised myself that it worked out this way. And-"

He stopped, apparently unwilling to disclose anything else.

"And? This doesn't have anything to do with...you and Kairi? Your feelings?"

Sei had suddenly become very quiet. 

"Was it that obvious?"

His voice was little above a whisper. Riku sighed, more in sympathy than anything else.

"I'd know it from experience. Give it up, Sei; I'm telling this to you as a friend. Kairi won't need anyone else, as long as she has Sora."

Like he didn't already know, Sei thought, viciously kicking aside a chunk of debris. But there was something else, too. Who was to say which feelings had been his and which had been Sora's, when their hearts had begun to intermingle? If this crush wasn't his, then why did he still feel this way about Kairi? He felt sick and afraid all at once.

Not that it mattered how he felt. As what had already been said, and something that he knew all too well: Kairi wouldn't need anyone else, as long as she had Sora. 


	9. Author's Note

A/N:

I do have work to show for my last four+ weeks of absence. Unfortunately, it is not the next chapter of ItL. Reading over the previous chapters of ItL, I realized how very unsatisfactory the whole lot of it was. I simply could /not/ continue this fiction knowing that. 

So I revised, and added quite a bit to ItL. Hopefully, this fiction as a whole is a lot better for that. Updates are posted below.

###

Chapter Three-

Moderate revisions throughout. Expansion of the Wonderland adventures.

Chapter Four-

This chapter has become the very longest chapter in my story so far, numbering some where in the 7600-word range. I would have split it, but the chapters didn't look quite complete when I did. 

Moderate revisions of old writing. New adventures in Never Land. The chapter has been renamed because I believe that the old title will serve better for a future chapter (most probably the next one).

New adventures in other worlds, as well as a redoing of the time that the trio spent in Traverse Town. As I looked back at these old bits, I realized how very rushed I had made the story seem. I also realized that I had not exploited the Disney worlds nearly as much as I could have, and I'm afraid Sei's personality came out seeming very flat. -_- all the world really needs right now is another flat oc, and I hope that the writing that I added helped to provide more insight on his character. 

Chapter Five- 

Moderate revisions of old writing. Expansion of the time spent at the Disney Castle. I felt sorry for having neglected Donald and Goofy, so ::shrugs:: they make a bit more of an appearance here.

Chapter Six-

Moderate revisions of old writing. Also, an addition of some minor dialogue in the chocobo stables, and more conversation between the Hollow Bastion knights and our trio.

Chapter Seven-

Moderate revisions of old writing. New scene in which Aerith helps Kairi pick out a dress for dinner, and Yuffie pops too for a chat-this is located between the Cloud and Riku discussion and the dinner scene.

Chapter Eight-

Light Revisions of old writing.

###

So there you have it. I plan to have the next chapter posted somewhere in the next two to three weeks. 

And for Reviewers—

To Firefly: O.o 

Oh no, this fanfiction is definitely not over yet. Our heroes still have a ways to go, what with the Nobodies, and the deal with Sora's eyes, and Ansem inside Sei, and...well, you'll just have to wait and see what happens next, won't you?

To Tornado: In the beginning, when Sora was intermeshed with Sei, snippets of his memories were coming back to him, but for the most all he was getting were "feelings" (for lack of a better word). Recognition of certain people and places, for example, and a remembrance of emotional ties to Riku and Kairi (although for the life of him he couldn't recall how these two had become so important to him...) As time passed, however, he did get a pretty good grasp of who he had been and how that related to Riku, Kairi, and the whole Heartless scheme. All the gaping holes became clear to him when he returned with Kairi in Hollow Bastion.


	10. Feel the Gravity of It All

A/N:

Sorry for the very extended wait for this chapter -.-;;. The last couple of weeks of school weren't good to me, and then I suffered through a severe case of writer's block in which nothing I turned out sounded right or good.

In consolation, at least this is an extra long chapter. My longest chapter ever actually for this fanfic. I spent many an hour on this one and here it is (finally)! I intend to finish ItL eventually. Especially now that it's summer, hopefully I'll have a lot more time to work on it. 

This is probably the first ever Ansem (Sei)/Kairi pairing on the net. I don't know whether or not to be proud of that fact or to hide under a rock (the rock can shield me from the disturbed KH fans and their tomatoes). Actually, at this point in the fic I think I'm more inclined towards the Sora/Kairi pairing, but you never know...

Anyway. Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing, and hope you enjoy this new chapter!

###

A darkness rouses, then peers from the recesses of the heart to which has been tied once again. Tendrils of its power reach out, and the light recoils at the touch though there is very little it can do in opposition. The darkness sneers at what it finds.

~Emotions of the heart...the surest path to pain and sorrow...yet you hang onto them 

A brief pause.

~And all for the sake of that girl-/child/

The darkness makes a point of emphasizing child, and then continues to speak scathingly.

~How foolish and weak is the light of my heart

The light glowers.

~...

Awake, are you?

The darkness laughs, a rich sound that echoes in the emptiness yet causes only feelings of disgust in the light.

~You do not sound too happy about that

The light is very flat with its answer.

~I'm /not/

The darkness is amused.

~You cannot reject that which is a part of yourself

The lights shrugs.

~Probably not...but I can certainly try

Cool disdain rolls from the darkness like a heavy mist.

~A meaningless effort

The light snorts. However, in reality, it too is wondering.

A conflict of darkness and light with a physical shell...with the two parts bound so closely together, surely to destroy one was to destroy the other.

The light wondered if such a struggle would ever have a hope of coming to close.

###

A stack of golden pancakes lay on the plate. Honey dripped down its sides in sticky globules and pooled on the shiny surface of the plate in amber pools, glistening over piles of strawberries, blueberries, and several chunks of other colorful fruits native to Hollow Bastion's world. Sora surveyed the mound carefully before spearing the topmost layer with his fork and tucking into the meal with much relish.

Kairi, a body of his own, delicious hot food, and not a Heartless for miles. Sora was in heaven.

"You're eating like you haven't had food in years," Kairi remarked in wry amusement from her considerably lighter plate of toast and fruit jam.

Sora paused to flash her a grin.

"I haven't." 

His words were only slightly garbled from a mouth full of pancake, and Kairi giggled as she realized the truth in his words.

"But all of that is so unbelievable," Yuffie said from across the table. 

Aerith, Yuffie, and Leon had dropped by the Dining Hall when word had reached them that the long-vanished keyblade master was up. They had insisted on staying to hear Sora's story. 

"I mean, Sora's been with you guys this entire time, and no one had even realized it." 

"It isn't /that/ weird," Kairi said. "I had shared a body with Sora for quite a while when hiding from the Heartless, and no one had been the wiser."

"Too true, too true," Yuffie agreed amiably.

"But what do you suppose Ansem had to do with this?" Aerith asked. "After all, he did show up the very night Kairi rescued Sora. Perhaps it was he that sealed up his heart those five years ago."

"That's a possibility," Sora conceded.

"But I wonder why he disappeared after fighting Sei," Aerith continued. "And why he singled him out to fight when it could have just as easily been Riku or Leon or even Kairi..."

Leon snorted, somehow feeling the last two unlikely. He took another sip from his mug of dark coffee and regarded the younger keyblade master as he stuffed his face with food.

"Do you have any ideas about Sei then, Sora?" The older man asked. He rather disliked the fact that most of the gaping holes in the story seemed to have a lot to do with the enigmatic Sei.

Sora considered the question over a slice of melon. "Ideas, yes, but I'd rather we wait on Sei before I begin to discuss anything." 

Yuffie tapped a finger thoughtfully on the tabletop. "So I guess all this means that Sei isn't a keyblade master after all."

Sora stirred his fork among the rivulets of honey and sticky fruit syrup. "Not as far as I can tell." 

He licked his fork clean, savoring the sweet taste with a contented smile. Yum. 

Something seemed to catch at Leon's line of vision, and Sora tilted his head to look over his shoulder.

"What is it Sora?" Kairi inquired.

She turned in her chair to look too and caught sight of Riku and Sei at the front of the Dining Hall. They had just gotten their breakfast trays. She waved to catch their attention, grinning as they turned their way.

"Looks like they've already been here for a while." Riku murmured as he caught sight of Kairi. Sei glanced at where Riku indicated, then abruptly looked away to plunk silverware next to his plate with an ease that was obviously false.  

Riku frowned slightly, unsure of what he should do. Their relationship may have been strained in the beginning, but in many ways he found that he could relate to Sei. Riku no longer had a crush on Kairi (having grown out of that years ago) but he could understand what it was like to love someone who only had eyes for another (ironically his best friend). And he understood what it was like to have a darkness slowly clawing away at one's heart, consuming until there nothing left but void--always fighting, always struggling inside. Most of all, he knew what it felt like to expect to become the focus of the hate of those most important to him because of something terrible he had done before. 

That's why Riku was almost afraid of walking to that table, of looking once more upon the friend that light had called forth as champion. But such meetings couldn't be put off forever and together Riku and Sei wove past the tables and groups of people towards the front of the room. 

Riku looked past Kairi at Sora's beaming face, and everything simply /stopped/.

Sora was at a complete loss when he saw the way that Riku had paled and stiffened when he set eyes on his face. Shock, the slowly confusion and hurt crept into his mind when it dawned upon him that perhaps his friend may not have been so happy to see him. He might not have felt this way had he known what it was that Riku was seeing. 

Perhaps for Kairi Sora's eyes had glowed somewhat. At the most, they had definitely changed to a sort of blue and gold glass mix. For Riku, Sora's eyes /blazed/. Riku didn't know what to do, what to think. Had the Heartless gotten to him too? No, that was ridiculous for although Sora's eyes were different, they weren't /Heartless/ different. Debatably a reason for him to feel better. So what did this mean? Did it /mean/ anything at all?!? Riku cursed violently to himself.

~Gods damn, gods damn, gods DAMN!

He wasn't sure if the others noticed the difference and he didn't want to cause any unnecessary stir. He'd just have to speak to Sora privately about this later.

"Sora! It's great to see you after all this time," Riku said, forcing on a collected smile. 

He really was happy to see his old friend and he didn't want Sora to think otherwise. He reached over and ruffled the younger man's hair.

"You really worried us, you know that Sora?"

Sora smiled back as he pulled himself back together, wondering what exactly was going on. Surely he hadn't imagined the look on Riku's face? But, he didn't want to think that Riku didn't /want/ to see him. No one seemed to notice the taut, almost imperceptible line of tension in the air-or if they did, not one made any mention of it.****

"Sora, why don't you tell Riku what you told us-about what happened to you?" Aerith suggested.

Riku waved off the offer as he took a sip from his glass of juice.

"I already know," he said. "Sei told me before we came down here for breakfast."

Five pairs of turned towards Sei. Sei, now the center of attention, sat stoic and unmoving. He was very aware of what they were waiting for. And now...now was a good a time as ever, he supposed warily. It wasn't like he could keep on hiding his secret forever. Unfortunately.

"Fourteen years ago, you knew me as the man called Ansem," Sei began. He sensed reactions of shock and disbelief from Kairi Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith. Sora, however, took this all in step, having suspected that much of it anyway.

"This... is my story."

Kairi had thought that she had been ready for any kind of surprise after the discovery of Sora's heart within Sei. But this...this was almost beyond belief. Sei, the dual-blade wielder and her close friend...Sei was Ansem? It didn't seem possible, not after everything that she had heard about Ansem! She took some time to reflect of the moments they had spent together. And she realized with a surprising certainty that it actually did make a lot of sense.

So Sei finished, and waited. He didn't dare look at any of their faces, most especially Kairi's, afraid of what he'd see. Then he felt slender arms wrap around his shoulders hugging him close, and he looked up in shock.

"You remember what I told you before, about trust and wanting to know so that I could help you?" asked a strong voice behind the waves of russet hair. "Well I certainly haven't. I'm so glad you finally decided to trust us." 

In all respects, Ansem was supposed to have been someone strong, the powerful leader of a country. Right then Sei felt as if made of something more fragile than glass, ready to break at the slightest pressure. To his added horror, he felt something wet trickle down his cheek, tasting of salt as it touched his lip. 

"I'm glad too," he managed at last, so softly that Kairi almost didn't hear. "You're...friendship... means more to me than anything."

Kairi giggled. "Hee. That's good to hear."

She stood up, and pushed his bowl closer to him.

"Now come on-eat up. You're thin as it is already. Thinner," she added. "Then both Sora and Riku and that is completely unacceptable."

Sei muttered something that sounded like a teasing "yes m'am." Kairi slapped him lightly upside the head.

"Don't be a smart-ass."

Sei looked at her coolly from the side of one eye, most of his face hidden by platinum hair.

"Wouldn't dream of it princess."

Riku snorted into his cereal. Sora laughed outright. Kairi finally gave up, rolling her eyes. 

As they say, boys would be boys.

Breakfast was finished quickly and the group got up to leave for Leon's office where matters would be further discussed. As the others went ahead, Sora found himself face to face with Riku.

"Do you mind if I could talk with you...alone?" Riku asked.

Sora tried to read the expression behind his friend's face but failed. 

"Sure," he finally replied. He guessed the others would simply have to wait.

He followed the silver-haired man outside onto a small walkway. This one overlooked the training yard where already a number of young men and women had gathered for practice. The fighters were stretching and warming up, waiting for the instructor. Sora could hear their chatter and gossip floating up in the late spring wind. Their chatter quickly turned to respectful silence as an irritated looking Cloud Strife walked into the yard. Yuffie had slithered out of her duties for that morning in favor of plotting with Leon, Aerith, and the keyblade masters, leaving /him/ to deal with her mess of trainees. God, sometimes he hated that woman...

Sora turned his eyes away from the scene to look at Riku. For a moment there was only silence, Riku surveying the smaller brunette from behind the cloth of his blindfold. He finally sat back, folding his arms across his chest.

"You've changed so much since we left the islands." Riku murmured. You've become stronger then I ever would have imagined." Then with a smirk, he added, "I had been beginning to wonder if you would ever lose that cute baby fat."

Sora snorted, grinning in pretend annoyance. "Hah! It's not like you can really gain any weight when you're running around saving the worlds." 

Sora leaned against a stone pillar, letting the cool wind blow through his thick hair. His expression was suddenly serious, almost world-weary, and very vulnerable.

"I was so worried about you Riku! I know it was necessary for you and the king to stay behind the doors at Kingdom Hearts but, Goddess!" 

He took a few steps until he was at the walkway's railing and propped his elbows up on the white stone, resting his head on his hands. 

"You have no idea what a relief it had been, even inside Sei's body, to realize that you were all right. That you had escaped Kingdom Hearts."

"Hey, it wasn't exactly easy for me," Riku said. "Always wondering where you were, what could have happened to you. Who could have guessed that you were right there under our noses this entire time?"

Sora smiled, but the smile didn't reach the sadness in his eyes. It felt fake, reminding him of that grin he had given Donald and Goofy at the very beginning of their adventures. 

"Even when you fell into darkness, I had always cared for you. I mean, yah at times you seriously pissed the hell out of me for being such a dumb-ass, but at others time you scared me so much-I was afraid that I'd lose you completely to the Heartless. Like I had been sure that I'd lost Kairi. We've been best friends forever and that isn't going to change at the flip of a dime." 

A sound something like a groan escaped his lips.

"I should have never allowed any of this to happen. I should have never made you feel so ignored, should have never let you think that you weren't wanted."

"This isn't your fault," Riku interrupted harshly. "Joining the darkness...that was my decision! You shouldn't blame yourself for my mistakes." 

Riku vibrated with rage and hate and sorrow, but all these feelings were directed towards himself, not towards the young man before him.

~I had /needed/ to be the best... I had /needed/ to be /needed/. Don't blame yourself Sora. Don't try to take my fall for me

"But you didn't bring me out here to reminisce in the good old days, did you?" Sora asked, abruptly changing the subject. He twiddled his thumbs, staring at smooth, translucent fingernails. 

"So what's bothering you? Was it my eyes?"

When Riku didn't say anything Sora added, "I've been seeing people's hearts, blazing inside them like stars. I think it's something like your own eyes, maybe. I see hearts, and probably Heartless too." 

He glanced back at Riku seriously. "You can see it in my eyes can't you? Just like I can see it in yours."

Riku laughed, a muted sound full of false humor.

"They say that the eyes are the windows of one's souls."

Sora inclined his head.

"Hearts definitely," he replied after a moment. "I don't know about souls." 

He hugged his arms across his chest.

"What is the difference between the heart and the soul, do you think?"

Riku shrugged, unable to bring himself to care too much. A shadow of a frown creased at Sora's brow as he stared at Riku.

"When I look at you, I see something different. It's not your heart, but your eyes that shine, even when you've tried to hide them behind blindfolds."

Riku waited but Sora had nothing else to say. Dark thoughts began to rise within him as he considered this.

"Are you saying that you can't see my heart? Or maybe," Riku said coldly, "I don't have one. Maybe I lost mine to the Heartless and that's why my eyes have become like theirs."

"Oh, you have a heart all right," Sora said, in a tone of certainty that was clearly not to be questioned. "It's just hidden. Or transformed. Or something." He threw his arms up into the air. "I can't say anything for sure--if you have any questions about the Heartless, you probably need to talk to Sei. Even when he didn't have his other half, he was pretty well-informed on that sort of thing."

"Sei...Ansem..." Riku looked off into the distance, his eyes glinting lanterns only barely veiled to Sora. "Now isn't that interesting."

"What?"

"Both of us have shared bodies with the same person at one point or other. Or," he shrugged "practically the same person."

Sora nodded slowly. "That /is/ a funny coincidence, isn't it?"

But they both looked at each other and knew they were thinking the same thing. Maybe it wasn't coincidence. Maybe it was Fate. Every other damn thing that had ever happened to them had had to do with the word. Fate that the two of them had even been chosen by the keyblades. Fate that now the only meaning for their very existences was to somehow end the threat of the Heartless.

Fate that somehow even now there stood a line between them, one that neither of them could understand.

A separation of light and darkness. Nothing was ever going to be the same.

Riku sighed, breaking those thoughts, and ran a hand through his silver mane of hair.

"We probably should get back now."

"We should." Sora agreed, but he hesitated after a few steps. 

"Riku..."

"Hmm?"

Sora flashed his trademark radical grin.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Well...you know...everything."

Riku looked at him questioningly, still in the dark.

"For taking care of Kairi for me. For looking for me even when it began to look like I was dead or something. For never giving up. Just...thanks."

Riku gave Sora a very long look, as if saying "well what else did you expect me to do?" But, after a moment of looking into that boyish, enthusiastic face, Riku's lips parted into a smile. A real one.

"You're welcome.

###

Leon's office was a medium sized room with dark wood paneling and a large window taking up most of the far wall. It was clean and spacious, everything fairly organized on the tables and shelves and upon stacks in the corners of the room. There were five chairs, counting Leon's. Kairi sat next to Sora, with Riku between himself and Sei on the far right of the room. Yuffie swung her legs over the side of Leon's desk, while Aerith had settled onto a stool pulled out from behind a large potted plant, pale, graceful hands clasped across her knees.

Sora glanced over to the left side of his chair, catching the profile of the young woman beside him bent over a fresh surface of paper. Kairi was scribbling something in that journal of hers again, filling up the blank emptiness with scrawling words and letter in clean black ink. She was always doing that these days. She said she had a lot on her mind. Besides, she wanted to remember everything when this was all over. To forget was like saying that something had never happened, or someone had never existed. It's easy to forget, when you're living in a world in which no one else believes.

"So, back home...no one remembers what happened that night?" Sora asked.

Kairi shook her head, clasping the small book to her chest.

"Your parents...yours and Riku's, they were really devastated by the loss. But don't worry. When we get back, we'll have a huge party. We'll invite everyone on the island. We'll celebrate that we're back at last to the place we grew up. We'll celebrate that the Heartless are finally gone..." she took a deep breath before finishing. "We'll beat them. I know we will." 

~We have to defeat them. This fight has been going on for far too long.

Leon eyed the couple with his usual jaded expression, clearly not impressed with such optimistic sentiments.

"What we need to know, however, is /how/ to accomplish that." 

He was seated across from them in a chair at his desk. A slight breeze blew in from the open window, catching at the ends of the papers strewn across the tabletop. Yuffie absently moved a silver paperweight of the Hollow Bastion crest onto some of these while Leon spoke.

"How are you planning to defeat the Heartless?"

Five years ago, it had seemed that the answer had already been found. Now it looked as if that solution had only just chipped away at the tip of an iceberg.

Beside Riku, Sei was busy trying to block out certain "voices" inside his mind. Up until now, the voice had been suspiciously quiet. Presently, it sounded quite smug and pleased with itself.

~You are the source of all Heartless

Sei closed his eyes with a silent moan, lamenting his whole miserable existence.

~Shut /up/

The voice only laughed.

Aerith looked around her at the disquiet faces with unease. "Hadn't Sora already closed the doors of Kingdom Hearts with Riku, Donald, and Goofy?"

"Yes," Yuffie said in agreement. "You closed the doors and defeated Ansem. But the Heartless are back, stars are still falling from the sky...yet the walls between the worlds are, well, kind of still up. At least enough that Gummi ships are utterly useless." 

Aerith pursed her lips together, liking the way things were sounding even less and less.

"So what does this all mean? What exactly can we do?"

Aerith, Yuffie, Leon were determined to do whatever they could to aid in this battle, even if it seemed they would be unable to fight it themselves. They had been fighting against the threat of Heartless for nine long years before even Sora, Riku, and Kairi had even known of the existence the darkness from which it was spawned. Friends, family, the only home they had ever known...all lost for too many years. Yet, what real hope was there for them in this crusade?

"I think that what we really need to do first is to review the facts," Riku said "And maybe learn a few things that we never knew in the first place."

All eyes turned towards the silver-haired young man at this statement, but he wasn't finished.

"Sei found the rest of his-(Ansem's)-reports down in the old laboratory. There may be something of use for us in these."

"Oh, the missing reports," Aerith clarified, catching on.

"Of course...convenient time for them to finally resurface," Leon added a bit cynically. "Heh. I wonder how much they'll help us, and how much they'll make this situation even more of a problem."

Leon had noticed the small packet Sei had been carrying before, but had not thought to associate it with such importance. His eyes followed Sei as the blonde man dropped the sheaf of documents onto the table before the group. 

Sei was completely frank with his thoughts on the whole issue at the very start.

"This may not be exactly the sort of information you're looking for, because I'm sure it isn't," he said. "But I think this knowledge will prove valuable all the same."

Leon looked at Sei with incredulity, but the other man proved to be completely unresponsive but for a wry smile, merely sitting back down in his chair as if to wait for the rest of them to read and make what they would of it.

"Okay," Yuffie said, clapping her hands together. "Let's get started."

The eleventh report was skimmed over, having little information that was new. It detailed the connection between shooting stars and worlds, gummi blocks and the worlds, and the measures Ansem had taken to prevent anyone from using the keyblade to seal the hearts of the worlds (that is, sending the princess of heart known as Kairi as an instrument to reveal the location of the keyblade).

The other reports, the twelfth and thirteenth reports were a far cry more surprising in the information it detailed. Aerith read aloud to the group from the yellowed and stained papers, her smooth voice clear in the silence:

"...in order to cross over to the dark side, which is not this world, you must go beyond the door of Kingdom Hearts, the place connected to the world's heart. The innermost part connected to the world's heart, the place connecting to the world of darkness. (I will record the details in another report...)

There are still so many unknown worlds.

The present world.

The world of darkness.

The world of light.

And,

The world in-between.

Where does the true paradise lie, I wonder?"

Aerith stopped, licking dry lips when she had finished. Yuffie took up the reading after her friend on the first page of the thirteenth report.

"When the heart casts off the flesh, where does the body go?

Heart and soul are separate, and the spirit remains in the body. But can we assume that the leftover body and soul perish? Certainly when the heart changes into a Heartless the body disappears. However, that is only this world's story; in another world, mightn't they change forms like the Heartless and exist there? If we take that to be the case, there must be a you other than yourself existing somewhere.

An existence neither of darkness nor of light. An in-between existence. Cast off by the heart, a mere shell, one who begrudges both the darkness and the light. This mystery cannot be easily resolved. The relationship between the heart and the flesh is a complex one. But since we exist here, they cannot be termed as existent. Therefore I shall call them...

'The non-existent ones.'"

Yuffie turned the last page, only to find polished wood beneath it.

"Well I guess that's that, if there aren't any more of the reports somehow missing out there," she added with a shaky laugh.

"That is the extent of my knowledge," Sei said. "There is little else that I can offer. I am sorry for that."

"Don't be," Aerith said. "We would have never known about all this if it hadn't been for your efforts. All the reports, not only these, have aided in our understanding of the Heartless considerably. It is only a pity that even so, there still lies a wealth of unknown information."

Leon's usual jaded expression had not changed throughout the entirety of the reading. 

"I'm almost not surprised that things have turned out to be so much more complicated then we had first believed."

Something twitched in the back of Kairi's memory. She frowned, trying to remember what it was.

"I think I remember something like this." Thoughts from a dream. The words flashed again before her mind's eyes like lightning. 

"Who are the Nobodies you ask?" Kairi murmured slowly. "They are the nonexistent ones."

"Nobodies?" Aerith's chocolate-colored bangs bounced lightly as she shifted in her seat to face Kairi. Her eyes were bright with questioning. "Where did you hear that Kairi?"

Kairi rubbed her eyes. "This is all very weird but yesterday night, when I went into Sei to find Sora, I found myself in some kind of dream. Or something like a dream. I saw Sei in Traverse Town, as he was when Sora had been inside him. He fought Heartless and then ran up the side of a building towards Riku. Riku received the Oblivion from Sei and then I saw Sora's fourteen-year old self at a crossroads that parted four ways. The last place the dream took place at was a dark beach of some kind, with a glass bottle in the water, and then-"

She halted for a moment. "I saw Sora talking to me on the rocks. Except, somehow I knew that wasn't me and that wasn't Sora. Sora, our Sora, was flying across the waves as his younger self into the distance."

"'There must be a you, other than yourself existing somewhere'." Aerith recited. "Of course that dream would make sense then. But the rest of it, what could it mean?"

"I met Sei in Traverse Town." Riku remarked, seeing again in his mind that moment that seemed so long ago, but in reality really wasn't. "He didn't do anything as impossible as run up walls but he did fight Heartless. And, in a way, I did receive Oblivion from Sei."

"You attaining a keyblade of your own was only inevitable." Sei put in calmly. "But, yes, I do see your point."

Sora watched the discussion through his swirling glass, sky-gold eyes. Now he had something else to add.

"Kairi, do you remember that day when you caught me sleeping out on the beach, the day we had begun working on the raft?" Kairi nodded her head at Sora, waiting with curiosity at to where this was going. "I had a dream that day, a strange one with stained glass windows of the princesses of heart and of you and Riku. Thinking back on it now, I think it was more than just a dream."

Kairi eyes widened, an idea coming to her. "A vision?"

"Probably." Sora agreed. "And then, when my heart was captured between the worlds, I had another one, the same one that you say you saw last night. I'm sure that this dream holds secrets to what will happen to us in the future."

He fingered the crown emblem around his neck carelessly, caught up in these thoughts.

"An existence that begrudges both the darkness and the light...is this a new enemy?" A look of determination came over his face. "Regardless of whatever obstacles, I'm sure of what I have to do next. I need to find the door to the light. Something about that door and the light must be the answer to beating the Heartless, and I'll find it!"

"Easier said than done." Leon's words were characteristically cynical, but a smile was twitching at his lips. "Where were you planning on looking?"

"I'm not sure yet," Sora admitted.

"You're just sort of B.S.ing your way through this one, aren't you Sora?" Riku asked. He chuckled.

"Heh, don't worry. Whatever happens, we'll be right here behind you."

Sora looked at Riku through derisive, half-closed eyes.

"/Behind/ me, huh? I feel so reassured."

Yuffie crossed her legs up on the top of the desk. "But seriously guys, what are you going to do from here? Wonder the worlds until you get lucky? Too many people are counting on you for you to fail now." Including us, Yuffie silently added.

"Perhaps we should think about visiting King Mickey again." Kairi suggested. "He may have at least some clue of where we should head."

Riku nodded, an obscure expression behind his blindfold. "I get the feeling that he's never telling us everything that he knows."

"Don't you?" Kairi said. "Maybe that's because he doesn't think we need to know yet, or it'd hinder us if we did. But now we've found Sora; I think we're ready to tackle this new quest!"

The sooner they found the door to the light, the sooner the Heartless were defeated, and they could go home. Kairi didn't think there was anything she wanted more than that.

With at least a vague course of action to follow now, the group dispersed to prepare for the departure. Kairi and Sora left with Aerith to restock on healing items and other necessities. Sei went to look through what Accessories the skilled artisans of Hollow Bastion had to offer (he would continue to fight with his own dual blade swords, having surrendered the Oathkeeper to its true master).

Sora and Kairi walked down the sunlit hall, stopping at the corner of one side as Aerith switched a trigger on what had seemed a mere ornamental crystal. A gilded lift slide down from an upper floor, and Sora and Kairi followed Aerith as she stepped onto the platform. They exited off this on the second floor up, went past several rooms that had been set up as the infirmary, and then into a smaller enclosed area serving as a storeroom.

"Cure spells are fine and everything, but sometimes you can't afford to waste that kind of energy." Aerith said, sorting through the bottles and boxes lined up in the storeroom. 

"Hmm..." The chocolate-haired woman picked up a bottle, examined the label, and then peered at its contents with a frown. She began to select various other bottles off the shelves and packing them into a sack.

"Some ethers should go with you as well...which reminds me, Kairi." She turned her head to flash a grin at the younger woman. "I'm very impressed by how much you progressed with your magic since we were last together in Traverse Town. Of course, five years /have/ passed."

"I was practicing at home on the Islands every chance that I could."

"It definitely shows." Aerith zipped up the flap of the sac, and then tossed it to Sora.

"That should keep you covered for a while yet." She informed him. Then, with a wry look she added, "I just hope nothing happens to you four that would cause you to really need to use any of this."

Kairi smiled shyly. "This is really very kind of you."

"It's not any problem. Besides, I think the four of you will need all the help and the luck that you can get.

Sora pulled the strap of the bag over his shoulder. "We'll manage, don't worry."

"I hope so." Aerith looked at Sora consideringly. "You know, you've really grown up from that little kid we met in Traverse Town. Then, Leon couldn't believe that the fate of the universe rested on the shoulders of such a child. Now I believe there is no question. If anyone would be able to pull this off, I know it'd be you."

"I hope you're not just saying that."

"In the beginning I might have." Aerith said with a laugh. "All I can say now is that you've changed so much. Even Leon shouldn't have any more doubts about the person you've matured into."

Sora looked doubtful for a moment but allowed it to give way to a smile.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now how about seeing where Riku and Sei are now, shall we?" 

Riku and Sei were already waiting with their things in the entrance hall, along with Yuffie and Leon when the three arrived. Cloud had also shown up to see them off.

Sora grinned. "It's good to see you again Cloud. I guess you found your light after all."

Amusement danced in Cloud's eyes.

"And it seems you've become quite the hero." The blonde man replied.

Sora shrugged indifferently. "I guess."

Five years ago, he might have felt proud at such words coming from the older man. Now it didn't seem to matter much anymore.

Sora shoved his hands into his pockets. "So now that we're all here, I guess we'll be going?"

"Yes; the trip here took three hours," Kairi said. "We probably don't want to waste any time if we can help it."

"Airship would be faster," Yuffie put in helpfully.

Leon stood up from where he was sitting next to his fiancé.

"As I've just told Riku and Sei, we've already arranged with Cid to have one ready for you," Leon said. "By now he should be about done, so whenever you're ready."

Kairi looked around at the bright, marble hall and the faces of those who had always been ready to help them ever since this battle had begun. Perhaps this wasn't her home any longer, but she was certain that she was going to miss it now.

"As ready as we'll ever be."

###

The airship chosen was one of the smaller models but was perfectly suitable for the given task. Its metal plates were painted ivory and deep emerald with gold trim, and wings fanned out at its sides and crown in ivory sheets. A blonde, slimly built seventeen-year old wearing thick goggles was finishing last minute work on the engine. Cid Highwind was watching the girl, overseeing her handiwork. 

He removed the bit of straw he was chewing from his mouth to holler at the young woman above him.

"Hey, Rikku, what's taking you?"

Rikku didn't even look up from her tinkering to answer.

"I'm almost done here, Cid..."

"Well hurry it up!"

A few minutes passed, then Rikku secured the top and jumped down to the ground level. Her clothes were stained and her face was smudged, but all in all she looked completely satisfied with her work. Like any typical Al-Bhed working in Hollow Bastion, she spent more time knee deep in motor oil and scrap metal than anything else. She pulled up her goggles, revealing green glass eyes with a strange, twisting design somehow worked into them.

"The Sonja is ready for flight," Rikku announced, peeling off oil-covered gloves. "Brother's inside, waiting for his passengers.

Cid grunted an approval. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking back the small group waiting behind him. "You heard the girl. So whenever you people are set on goin'."

Yuffie patted Kairi on the shoulder as they walked towards the craft, an almost conspiratorial gleam in her eyes.

"You take care okay?" Yuffie told Kairi. "Keep those boys in line."

"Good luck Kairi," Aerith said.

Kairi grinned, hugging them both. "We won't let you down."

Aerith smiled, but it was hard to tell if maybe there wasn't a little sadness in it too. 

"May you have fortune's blessing," she murmured. "Always."

Kairi hugged Cloud and Leon too, although Leon looked somewhat embarrassed at receiving his. Sora, Riku, and Sei, having finished their own good-byes, had already started onto the ship and Kairi hurried to follow them. The craft lifted from the earth in a flurry of wind and a smooth roar of the engines.

"Destination is Cremyia Chocobo Farm on the F'laren Road, yes?" Brother asked from his seat in the front. Judging from his eyes, he was of the same race as Rikku. Unlike the younger teen however, his words were heavily accented. He was also rather odd looking by most standards, with his blonde Mohawk and his gray-blue overalls. 

Sei said something in another language to Brother. Surprise crossed brother's face, then a grin. He answered in the same language, and then returned to navigating the ship.

"That was unexpected." Riku remarked wryly, having watched the exchange. Sei took a window seat across from Riku, looking outside the small opening at the rapidly disappearing outskirts of Hollow Bastion.

"I found it useful to be fluent in more than one language when I governed a country." Sei said simply.

"Hmm. So what language was that?" Riku asked, gesturing vaguely off in Brother's direction.

"Al-Bhed. That's the race that Brother and Rikku are of. You can usually tell them from the unique eyes. Most of them are also highly skilled with machinery, (machina to them) and they've made quite a few advancements with the gummi ships."

"Hey." Sora stuck his head over the top of Sei's seat, resting his elbows on the top of the chair. Sei looked up at him with a bland expression.

"How long will it take us to reach our destination?"

"About twenty-five minutes, I'm pretty sure," Sei answered.

"Oh." Sora disappeared again. 

There were sounds of him shuffling around his seat, and then his voice could be heard saying, "Anyone interested in a game of cards?"

Sora and Kairi sat together playing with the deck Sora had found under the seats. Riku slept by the window and Sei read a book from his bag. It was nice...doing absolutely nothing and talking about even less. Certainly it was calming after that discussion in Leon's office. No one really wanted to think about what might happen tomorrow, of the day after in this endless battle.

Almost without thought, Kairi began to hum a soft melody beneath her breath.

"When you walk away... you don't hear me say... please, oh b-aa-bby, don't go..."  

"What are you singing Kairi?" Sora asked. Kairi abruptly broke off and looked up in surprise at his question.

"Am I bothering you? I'll stop if you want."

Sora shook his head.

"No. It's only that that song seemed familiar."

"Hmm. It's from one of Sei's CDs. There are several other arrangements too, one sung in a language I don't know." 

She thought for a moment, and then began the song on another verse.

"Hold m-ee...whatever lies beyond this mor-ning, is a little later on... Regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at a-ll...nothing's like before..."

Kairi trailed off, wilting a little. Sora recognized the fear in her eyes.

"It's okay if you're scared."

He leaned back against the side of the seat with his head bent, a strange sort of weariness settling onto his features that Kairi had never seen before.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say I was scared too. Practically everyone is depending on us, and that's one hell of a load. It's too much for anyone to carry by themselves."

Kairi bit her lip. "The future is so uncertain," she mumbled. "Anything could happen. People could die. /We/ could die. I hate feeling like anything we do affects everyone else, especially when sometimes all I want is to quit with this fighting and go home. Then I feel selfish and dirty, thinking about myself when so much lies on the line." 

~Sora...sometimes I can't believe how pure your heart is. How do you keep going? How /can/ you keep going?

"Even when I was looking for /you/ I was being selfish," Kairi added with a harsh laugh. "Definitely I wasn't thinking about how finding the keyblade master would help the universe."

"Well," Sora said. "Sometimes its okay to be a little selfish. If it got all of us together, I would say that's a plus. For us and the universe."

He sat up. "You know what I'm dreaming of right now? Going home with you and Riku, and lying in the warm sun until I fry over like some piece of fish. Maybe have that party you said we could do to celebrate coming back home. We could have karaoke and raid Sei's collection of CDs for music... stay up late dancing in the light of the moon and the stars and the waves until we collapse in the water, too tired to do anything else...bake a pineapple cake in the shape of a giant key... I'd get fat again from so much delicious island food," he said as an afterthought. 

"You're just being silly."

Sora didn't falter. "Sometimes its okay to be a little silly. Before, I had always had Donald and Goofy for my comic relief. Label me immature, but it makes me feel better if I can think there is something left in the world to smile about. Call me selfish, but sometimes I need a little incentive to go crawling up that road again."

"Selfish...so what are we fighting for?"

Sora smiled. "Cake, of course."

"Oh yes. Cake and Karaoke."

Kairi looked outside at the brilliant blue sky. How crazy this conversation was turning out to be.

~But seriously. Despite selfish thoughts, I know none of us would really be able to simply drop everything and leave this battle. We've all been affected too much...is that why we're fighting? To bring all this sorrow to close?

She hugged her knees close to her chest.

~The end of our crusade...I'd like to see that day.

###

The minutes passed quickly and soon Brother was landing the small craft to the side of the main road, several yards away from the chocobo stable to which they had first gone.

Brother would wait with the Sonja until he was sure that the four had been successfully able to get back to Traverse Town. Kairi looked back at the gleaming ship of ivory and emerald paint and metal, then shook her head and strode forward towards the faint glimmer in the air. Her heartkey materialized in her hand at her will and she held it forward to summon forth the door. The portal appeared and she waited as Riku, Sei, then Sora disappeared from the world. She waved one last time at the ship, although she wasn't sure if Brother would be able to see it from where he was. Finally, she turned around to follow her friends.

Something slammed into her mind the moment she stepped through. White spots danced before her eyes and she fought to gain balance through a haze of dizziness and nausea. She put a hand to her head, feeling ready to keel over or simply throw up. If not both. 

It only lasted for a few seconds. Just as suddenly those ill feelings had come, they vanished. Kairi slowly straightened cautiously, not quite trusting herself not to fall over again. It took her a moment to realize that where she was standing was not, as she had hoped, Traverse Town but rather a large circular room. The ceiling towered three stories above her head and the gray stone walls were covered with irregular openings that might have passed for windows. The floor was covered in small black, white, gray, and black tiles that were arranged in a star-shaped pattern with eight points across the earth. There wasn't any sign of Sora, Riku, or Sei.

A hooded figure in a stylized coat stood across from Kairi, her front facing the opposite walls. The person turned towards Kairi with uncaring grace, moving as if she had just then noticed Kairi's presence. The face was shielded with a hood, but a lock of bright, auburn hair had fallen from the shadows to hang before smooth pale skin and rose-colored lips.

Kairi's body tensed. "I saw you in that vision." 

No reply. Kairi swallowed away the dryness in her throat and tried again in determination.

"You are a Nobody, aren't you?"

The Nobody watched her with cool interest. She did not speak, but a detached female voice entered Kairi's mind. 

~How intriguing.

She stepped forward until only a few feet in front of Kairi. Kairi felt unnerved by this, as if she was somehow staring into a mirror. She gazed at her double with wary eyes as more words entered her thoughts.

~The story repeats itself as another chapter unfolds. Unexpected, yet not unsurprising. Your existence...a definition for the light and darkness, and a representation of a forgotten world. It is in your name and your nature. How ironic that you are also a princess of heart. 

She seemed to be staring, thinking, but Kairi could only see the black within her low hood.

~Or...perhaps not so ironic. Admittedly in all things, this has worked out quite well.

"What are you talking about?" Kairi demanded, feeling fear and trying to hide it. "What have you done? Where is Sora? And Riku, and Sei?"

The Nobody considered the questions.

~Nothing was done here that was not already inevitable.

A weapon appeared in the Nobody's hand. Kairi took a sharp intake of breath when she realized what it was--a key the size of a baton, its metal colored in shades of black, gray and white. In many ways it was very similar to her own heartkey. Soon after, the Nobody's form flickered, fading gradually away into nothing.

~The time we can meet again will doubtless come.

Kairi stared, uncomprehending, but then seemed to gather her wits at the last moment with a frustrated cry. 

"Wait!"

The Nobody might have smiled, but she vanished before Kairi could be sure. Everything faded and shifted away until she knew she was longer in that strange room apart from the worlds.

She looked up. It was a clear, radiant night in Traverse Town. Silver rain clouds floating through the cobalt sky, barely veiling the white pinpoints of light above. A faint wind swept through the square, brushing against her skin in soft caress.

And Kairi was all alone.


	11. Awakening Spiral

A/N:

Because Megumi asked about Sei's appearance and age [if he is (was) Ansem, why doesn't he look the part now and how old is he supposed to be, as he seems to be Sora and co.'s ages?], I decided to post the following information for any readers who may be interested:

First of all, I'm basing Sei on the idea that the heart can alter the body's appearance in extreme cases (i.e. Ansem changing Riku's body to look like his when he possessed it). In the beginning, with the separation of his heart, Sei wanted very much to distance himself from the part of him that was king/scientist that went possessed by darkness (similar to the Squall/Leon case, where Squall wanted to distance himself from his former identity in Hollow Bastion). He wanted to move on, start afresh, and thus he altered his appearance with his shattered heart and changed his name.  
  
Besides all that, I'm also loosely basing this off my theory that Cloud and Sephiroth are two parts of the same heart in the KH universe. That is, although the two don't look at all much alike, there are obviously certain other things that tie them together (their wings, for example. One-winged, and on opposite shoulders from the other. That, and the dialogue and actions of Showdown of Fate made it appear as if something was going on between them in that fashion in their KH back story). On a side note, I actually used some translated dialogue from S.o.F for the exchange between Sei and Ansem in chapter seven.  
  
Lastly, I noticed that the light (Sei in this case) seems to have a habit of dealing with the younger people rather than the older. (Riku vs. Sora, Cloud vs. Sephiroth, the legend of the children and the light, etc.). Thus, Sei looks younger than Ansem. As I have no idea how Ansem really is, I can't tell you how old Sei is, although in his present state he looks like he's in his early twenties.

I'll wrap things up here. Hope you enjoy the new chapter!

###

When Sora dreams, it is of the sky. 

The sky is an orb of glass filled with white and gold and blue, its colors forever shifting. It touches everything, a cool liquid that has no form; its nature is to fill the present world. Then he thinks it seems so young, even though he knows that it has existed before even time.

If Sora closes his eyes, he can feel sand beneath his feet, he can smell salt in the wind. If he listens very closely, he can hear a boy's voice calling. He starts because he knows that voice, the boy who offers his hand--it's a part of him being taken away by the waves. He reaches out, but his fingers grasp empty air. It's gone. That part of him that he grew up with--it's gone. Or perhaps, not gone but only separate. He wonders why this is so and why things had to change. When he wakes up, he will feel tears on his face.

Sora wishes that the weight of the world no longer lay on his shoulders. He wishes that that weight no longer lay on the shoulders of his loved ones. At the same time he only wants the world to be again filled with light. So he picks up his heavy feet and walks down the road into the sky. His shoes drag on the path, and sometimes it seems that he is nowhere closer to the paradise, but he keeps walking anyway. He feels the hearts of everyone in the worlds, and he knows that they're counting on him to keep walking.

Sora looks back only once, squinting in the sun's dazzle. There is a voice in the distance from somewhere far away. 

~You will be the one who will open the door to the light

That voice seems so familiar. He stares into the blue, his head inclined slightly. Only silence.

Sora turns and begins his journey once again.

There is no turning back.

###

The Oathkeeper's master nearly tripped over his own feet as he stumbled into the glaring light of the new world. He lurched forward most unsteadily with his arms waving, trying to regain some semblance of balance and feeling vaguely confused at this sudden dizziness. Nothing like this had ever happened before when he was in Sei. He frowned. Or perhaps that was the problem. Maybe his own body wasn't used to the transition between worlds. 

Sora put both hands on the bark of a nearby tree, leaning his head against the rough trunk. He was still dizzy, but at any rate not nauseous dizzy. All in all, things could have been worse. He could have been throwing up all over his brand new black jeans. A horde of Heartless could have been attacking them. It could have been raining.

The teenager plopped down onto the grass, not caring whether or not Riku or Kairi began telling him off for being such a "lazy bum." Scratching his head with one gloved hand, he considered what he had just felt crossing between the worlds. Surely there had been something else too. Yep, Sora thought as he nodded to himself, something screwy was going on. He couldn't get over the sensation of having been hit and thrown through space by some very strange, /huge/ force. It had only lasted a couple of seconds, but he was certain of that feeling. With his head propped up in his hand, he pondered exactly what that force could have been. 

Except, his mind kept coming up blank. The only two possible threats to his knowledge were the Heartless or the Nobody. Heartless...Nobody...

Strange how he didn't seem to be hearing anyone talking, Sora finally noted after a moment. It was silent, except for the sound of wind in his ears and in the grass and the cries of nearby birds and insects. Very strange too, it occurred to him, that the four of them weren't back in the cathedral-

His head shot up, all other thoughts completely forgotten as the impact of this knowledge suddenly hit him. Why in Hades was he not in the cathedral?!? He looked wildly around. And why wasn't there anyone else there with him? He should have seen both Riku and Sei by now--he /knew/ that they had gone in before him. And Kairi should have been right behind him...

"Oh...shit."

Sora swore. Loudly. Dimly, he heard a vague voice telling him that Donald would have thrown a fit with him for using that kind of language**. **Of course he ignored it.

Only when he was properly done with his tirade did he take a moment to look around. The sun was beginning to set low in the sky, casting a muted orange-yellow dusting across the heavens and the outspread white clouds. Before it loomed a white castle with a distinctly whimsical feel to its design. Its turrets were capped in deep blue, and small, brightly colored yellow flags cheerfully ruffled in the wind. 

The keyblade bearer sighed heavily, running a hand through his thick hair as he gazed at the sight gleaming before him, looking like a picture from a fairytale. 

~Well, I guess at least one of us got to King Mickey

Disney Castle was situated on a low, grassy hill, and all around were green fields and forests. Just below itstretched a large city with quaintly designed buildings and houses, much in the same fashion as the structures that had once dominated Traverse Town. Sora peered down at the city, watching the people go about their daily lives. There were no signs at all of any fear or anxiety that might have suggested wariness for the danger of Heartless.

Sora stood up. As long as he was here, stuck on King Mickey's world, he was going to find /something/ useful to do. At least it'd be good to see Donald and Goofy again.

He walked through the open gate of the castle into the wide courtyard. For a moment he stood there surveying the spacious grounds, looking for a likely person to accost about the current whereabouts of the king. A loud barking noise caught his attention, and he turned his head just in time to stop himself from being thrown back by a very large, very heavy orange mass of an animal. A long-legged, skinny dog barked happily as it flung its paws upon Sora's chest, enthusiastically attempting to give Sora a thorough licking as a greeting. Unfortunately, after so many years, Sora had grown too tall for Pluto to get much more than his chin.

Sora firmly pushed Pluto off him. "Down boy."

The dog landed heavily on his front feet, staring at Sora with unmasked adoration. His tail wagged at a frantic rate, and his tongue lolled from his mouth as he panted heavily.

"Pluto!" A loud voice shouted. "Where'd you get to, boy?" 

Pluto ignored the call. Instead, he began snuffling around Sora's shoes.

"Stupid dog," A cranky voice complained impatiently, hidden by the edge of a building. "What's he up to now?"

"I dunno. I was just taking him out for a walk and then he made a run for it; think he heard something?"

The cranky voice made a snorting sound of skepticism. Donald had always seemed to underestimate the intelligence of dogs (among many other things), whether it was in the brain of his king's pet or inhis own colleague. Sora smiled fondly at the memories as he bent down to pet Pluto's head. It figured Pluto would be the first one to discover Sora's arrival at the castle.

A loud, familiar, wordless squawk of astonishment burst through the serene quiet of the yard. Sora waved at the pair cheerfully as they goggled at him.

"It's Sora!" Goofy exclaimed.

"I know who that is," Donald retorted, though he sounded pleased as well at Sora's appearance.

Sora trotted over to join them, Pluto following at a lazy lope.

"Hey, what's up?"

Donald gave him an incredulous look, as if stating "is that all you can say when you've been missing for the past half a decade?!?" 

"Gawrsh, Sora! We never expected...hyuck, I mean, where've ya been?" Goofy asked, grinning foolishly. "You've had us really worried!"

"Your friends were here a few days ago looking for you," Donald added, finally having recovered himself.

"Yeah, I know." Sora paused, then decided that he wasn't going to elaborate on that just yet. "It looks like you two have been doing okay for yourselves back here in your own home," he said instead.

"Yep," Goofy said. "We've been keepin' the world order and all for the king."

Donald crossed his hands over the front of his blue vest. "Not that there's been too much of anything going on," the duck admitted. "Not with his majesty back and the world borders restored."

"What?" Sora teased. "Getting bored?"

Donald snorted. "Hah hah hah, very funny."

"Oh, I wouldn't say it was getting all that boring," Goofy remarked.

"Only because you spend most of your time sleeping anyway."

"You know, Donald, you'd probably feel a lot better if you got a little more sleep yourself."

"Uh huh," Donald said noncommittally.

Sora chuckled. "Glad to see you're as temperamental as ever, Donald."

"What was that?"

Sora turned his eyes towards the heavens with a look of innocence. "Nothing, nothing."

Goofy started towards the open doors of the castle, gesturing for the others to follow.

"Come on, Sora; Queen Minnie and Daisy will be wanting to meetcha!"

###

When Riku dreams, it is of the ocean.

The waves are all around him, a mottled green and blue like liquid glass that is eternally changing. He can feel the water drip from his bangs and slide across his face. The ocean tastes of salt and sand, and it gently laps at his body as he is cradled in its expanse. He shivers. It is so cold. The ocean is so cold, dark as cobalt and shapeless, a strange mirror of the sky above. The sky is without form, the sky and wind and light and darkness. 

The darkness covers everything, a deluge. Its nature is to connect the present world. It seems almost like a wave, a surge of water that consumes all opposition. 

Riku lies with his face towards the sky, the stars scattered across the heavens, so far away in a night so vast that he feels he can almost fall into it. He reaches out, imagining gathering the stars like so much fairy dust. 

The stars begin to wink out even as he extends his hand. One by one, the lights fall away until there is only one left. Riku stares, uncomprehending. Whose heart is this that refuses the darkness? He cannot stop to wonder, for suddenly he is falling. He is falling through the water and staring upwards at that last halo of light through the waves. The light is not gone, but somehow something still stands between him and it. He is in a darkness so complete that it is almost a soundless roar in his ears. He is numb and cold and alone...but there is a voice that still reaches him despite the darkness.

~Maybe it was fate

Who was that?

A child's voice answers the first voice, sounding sad and alone.

~Fate...you know everything, don't you?

The first voice replies. Most of what he says lost to the shadows, but one phrase is lucid to Riku.

~Your companion is a reflection of yourself and the condition of your own heart

Sora.

Riku smiles, even as he falls deeper into the darkness.

###

Kairi stared outside the kitchen window, watching without really seeing the morning light hit the tall buildings of Traverse Town, gleaming on the still wet walls and sidewalks. Her hands were clasped around a mug of scalding coffee; from its smooth side a wolf gazed at her balefully between her fingers. Her thoughts were still dwelling on the events of the night before.

There was something darkly beautiful about Traverse Town in the night, the streets and glass and metal aglow beneath bright neon lights. For a moment all Kairi had been able to do was stand there in the cold wind, frantically trying to push her numb mind to work properly, to get over the shock of what had just happened. Standing there, she had heard the telltale sound of Heartless bodies moving out from among the shadows, the pads of their feet slapping lightly in the puddled rainwater. Several Shadow Heartless and a Neo stepped towards her, their buttery eyes gleaming in a wide-eyed stare.

"Thundaga!"

Bolts of white-gold lightning shot from the sky towards the Heartless, striking all of them at once. Slightly dazed but not defeated, the Heartless rushed forward to overwhelm her, scratching at her arms and clothes. A fire spell finished off a cluster of Shadows, and she cast another blaze of fire to eliminate the Neo Heartless. Two shadows leapt simultaneously at her after this, and Kairi used her key as a dagger, knocking aside and cutting through the first one before it could reach her. The second one caught a hold of her jean leg, rendering a long tear in it from knee to low-shin before she could properly dispatch of the creature.

Her breath came out in ragged gasps then as she looked all around to make sure there were no more Heartless to contend with. She was half bent over her knees, resting her hands on her jeans as slowly she began to sort out her thoughts. Heartless had just attacked her. She let out a derisive breath. Nothing new there that she could see, what with Heartless popping up right and left on practically every world. What had happened before that was definitely more confusing)--her Nobody double had spoken with her, spouting the absolute gibberish that Ansem had been famous for. Unbidden, a verse of poetry rose into her mind, and she gave a hoarse chuckle.

~I am nobody, who are you? Are you a nobody too?

She couldn't remember what poem that had come from or who had written it.

~Sei probably would have been able to tell me

Slowly she closed her eyes, trying to pull her mind back on track. Were they really gone? Kairi was almost unable to bring herself to believe that, not after having gone through all that trouble of getting everyone back together again Sora by himself had been hard enough to find.

Well in any case, she wasn't going to accomplish anything standing out here feeling sorry for herself. Kairi stood up, brushed back a thick tangle of russet hair, and began to walk home. She was alone under the cold glow of Traverse Town's lights, clutching her heartkey in one hand as she walked along the streets still damp from the recent rain.

~Déjà vu...so that's what it feels like.

The house was dark inside when she arrived. She felt herself sink deeper into despair. Obviously several hours had passed since she had arrived on this world, and for a moment she had allowed herself to hope that maybe her friends had made it back safely and were waiting for her at the house...clearly that wasn't the case. Or perhaps that meant they were elsewhere in the city? Another world? She wondered if they were apart or together and if they were okay--wherever they were.

She was still wondering all that at 6:53 AM the next morning and was sure that all this anxiety over her friends was going to gradually drive her mind into insanity. She took a sip from her mug and winced as the hot liquid burned her tongue. A pad of notebook paper lay on the table beside her. On a whim she picked up a pen, scooted the lined sheets closer to her and began writing on the white surface.

Traverse Town

Wonderland

Olympus Coliseum

Halloween Town

Agrabah

Atlantica

Never Land

Disney Castle

Hollow Bastion

Kairi stared at the list for a moment, trying not to think of the hundreds of other unfamiliar worlds that were sure to exist out in the universe. After a brief pause, she scrawled a wide circle around the words 'Disney Castle,' frowning slightly. This was the world they had been planning to visit first anyway. It'd make a start, if not much of anything else. She put down the pen, trying to feel confident about her decision.

Right. Even if Riku, Sei, and/or Sora weren't there, at least she could talk to King Mickey and see if he knew anything about finding the door to the light. That is, she reflected with misgiving, if the mouse king even knew anything.

Well, whatever. She pushed back her chair and stood up, slowly sipping at the rest of the coffee in her cup as she did so. Hades could freeze over before she gave up on her friends. Once done, she rinsed her cup and set it on the drying rack before heading towards her own room to change clothes. The night before she hadn't had a chance to change out of her torn jeans and dirty shirt, having strained herself stressing over the separation from her friends before then falling asleep from sheer exhaustion on the living room couch. 

She stumbled through the half-lit hall leading to the bedrooms, almost tripping over a battered pair of roller blades strewn on the floor. Flinging open her closet, she pulled out a clean t-shirt with a bright, stylized sun emblem emblazoned on the front, along with a pair of khaki shorts. Then she set off at a trot out of the house and towards Gheppetto's shop in First District Traverse Town.

###

When Kairi dreams, she recalls an island in an ocean of different skies. She is standing on the beach watching a sunset that blazes orange, crimson and gold across the sky.

A figure emerges from the water, sending the water up around him in silver arcs. He stands up gingerly, shaking off crystal droplets clinging to his face and brown hair. The crown pendant clasped about his neck gleams in the light as he looks around, searching for something she can't see. Then his eyes fall upon the girl standing on the beach. Kairi waves and calls his name. She runs out into the surf, salt water soaking into the hem of her skirt. Somewhere along the way she loses her sandals in the water, but she doesn't care. The world seems so lit up and beautiful in the setting sun. She looks down at the sand sifting through her toes, marveling at the clarity of the water.

Sora stops in front of her, resting his hands on his knees and looking at her with a smile. Kairi giggles, half-hiding her lips behind a delicate hand, but something catches her eye in the heavens, and her hand and smile fall away. Meteors are falling through the sky, flares of white against the rapidly darkening velvet. Another Sora is falling with them, his eyes closed. He is an angel descending with the stars, a child mirror of the nineteen-year old boy standing with her.

Something seems to light up in the eyes of the older Sora, and then he is falling. He flails his arms, trying to regain his balance, and Kairi reaches out with a cry to help him, but it is too late. She is standing on the surface of the water as if it is glass, watching Sora through its mirror as he falls through the sky beneath her.

Kairi hears someone stepping onto the glass water behind her. When she turns, she sees that it is Riku. He is wearing his blindfold and staring at the place where Sora once was. Then he walks forward. When Kairi's hand brushes against his, she is struck with a darkness in her mind, and she stumbles back. 

The world shatters, and she is staring at the moon on that dark beach once again. There is a bottle clutched in her hands.

~Don't pretend you don't know the...

###

7:44 AM. Another fifteen minutes and 32...no, 31 seconds. Kairi stared for another minute at the numbers slowly changing on the face of her wristwatch. She put her hands on her lap and then looked at the white sign hanging--mockingly, she imagined--behind the glass of the front display window. Open, it said, from 8 to 6 PM on weekdays, 9 to 5 PM on Saturdays and closed on Sundays. Kairi groaned inwardly, cradling her head in her hands as she sat on the bench. 

In her exuberance, she had forgotten to take into account what times Gheppetto's shop would be open for her to actually get /in/. And she wasn't about to break in-although the thought had crossed her mind. 

She wearily turned her attention back to her wristwatch. Fourteen minutes, 58, 57, 56 seconds...

"Good morning, kupo!" a cheery voice chirped happily, causing Kairi to nearly jump out of her skin. She turned to glare at the speaker. Who in the world could sound this energetic in the morning? 

A furry red pompom gently hit her forehead, and she stared at the large moogle floating close to her face. It smiled at her, all sugar and innocence, and then alighted on the bench beside her. A large, lumpy package wrapped in brown paper and string was tucked underneath its arm.

"How is Kairi doing today, kupo?" The moogle asked. Kairi had been to the synthesize shop on a few occasions and had gotten to know some of the moogles. Too bad she was still having difficulty telling one apart from another.

Kairi bit her lip. "All right, I suppose," she finally answered. Actually, she was beginning to feel a headache build up from too much worrying and too little sleep.

"That's good to hear, kupo!"

A smile twitched at Kairi's lips. She'd always been a sucker for cute, furry animals, moogles fitting the description perfectly. And then, she thought musingly, so had Riku. Not that he'd ever admit to /that/...

The moogle regarded her inquisitively for a moment and then held out the package in its pudgy white paws.

"The wizard Merlin sends his greetings, kupo," it said. "And hopes that you might deliver this to the mouse king for him, kupo."

She looked from the moogle to the package, trying to hide her surprise.

"Uh, thanks."

Kairi took the offering in one hand, weighing it in the flat of her palm. It wasn't very heavy and felt level on the bottom. However, she couldn't really tell much more. As she handled it, the moogle smiled and gave a little half-bow.

"It was nice seeing Kairi again, but Mohmoki must be off." 

It flapped its minute purple wings and began to rise in the air (breaking all the laws of gravity into tiny pieces in the process). "Merlin says you can take a look at it if you like," it added before leaving. "Bye bye, kupo!" It waved, then fluttered off down the street.

Kairi fingered the wrapping of the package in her hand, trying to make up her mind. From Merlin to the king, hmm? Before she could change her mind, she carefully undid the knots of the package and unfolded the brown paper. Nestled among its wrappings was strange item, only a little bit larger than the span of her hand. A blue glass half sphere was set into a golden metal stand with a smooth, flat bottom. Small buttons and intricate characters were placed along the side. She traced her finger along the metal but didn't push any of the buttons. After all, it wasn't hers to break and undoubtedly was something valuable. She wrapped the sphere up again and stowed it away in her bag. 

On an impulse, she glanced at her watch again.

6 minutes, 32, 31, 30 seconds...

###

When Sei dreams, he is remembering a library over a waterfall. He is standing out on the balcony and watching as the sun rises over the glass falls, said to be the most beautiful sight in Hollow Bastion. He smells the rich scent of old paper and coffee all mixed together in the air, smells that have become familiar to him. 

Sei is remembering a time when he was called Ansem. Sometimes he is remembering the ones he ruled and lived with in that castle, or a boy with blonde hair that would grow to have wings, whose darkness would become a man named Sephiroth. That, or he is recalling hearts that were consumed by darkness, or a king from another world with a curious demeanor and a mind for tales of keys and light.

Ansem has always been a scientist at heart. There was nothing that could be left unknown that he wasn't sure to search for the answer to. He took things and turned them over and over in his mind until no facet was left uncovered. He was always asking questions: about the light, about the darkness. In the end, it would seem that the darkness would consume him. 

Sei stares at his hands, then at his reflection in the window. His body is younger now than before; it couldn't have been more than in its early twenties. He smiles sardonically. Wasn't it funny, how the light always manifested itself in the form of the young? The story says light survived in the hearts of children, and he supposes there must have been at least that much truth in it.

The wind turns icy cold, whipping around Sei's jacket as the castle changes to another place shrouded in darkness. His boots click lightly as they touch the stone path and he stretches out his wings for balance. The door before him gleams a brilliant white, and he finds himself regarding it warily. The door of Kingdom Hearts...was this truly the door to the light?

He reaches out with one hand and lightly touches the door, almost expecting to be burned by it for his blasphemous action. The wood is cool to the touch, and the door looms up high above him in the darkness.

~Our living is still such mystery...I wonder, where does the true paradise lie?

The world fades away.

###

A girl wrapped in a long black hooded jacket kicks off her sandals and walks out into the surf. Bright, russet hair escapes the hood to frame her face in a bright halo. She's singing and spreading her arms out to be caught in the salty wind. The light of the full moon illuminates the smile on her face, and the rocks all around her throw shadows over her body.

Destati! Tendi la mano

E' giunta l'ora, destati

Le porte verranno schiuse

*Awaken! Extend your hand

The time has come: wake up!

The doors will open again

Su rimembra tu trepida

Su sveglia! Ehi ricorda

*Come on, remember, anxious one

Come on, wake up! Remember

Destati, destati

Forza, tendi la mano 

Destati, destati

E' giunta l'ora

*Awaken, awaken

Here, extend you hand

Awaken, awaken

The time has come

E ancora una volta

Apriranno le porte

*And once again

They will open the door

Su rimembra tu trepida

Su sveglia! Ehi ricorda

*Come on, remember, anxious one

Come on, wake up! Remember

Eh? Come? Non lo vuoi?

Tuttavia t'appartiene

Cio che hai perduto

Diventera uno!

*Huh? What? Don't you want it?

But it belongs to you

That which you have lost

Will become one!


	12. Shadow of the Moon

That morning in Gheppetto's shop, Pinocchio had barely turned the sign from "closed" to "open" when he spotted a young woman hurrying towards the door from across the street. At first he was perplexed--hardly anyone ever came here this early. Butas the woman drew closer, he realized it was someone he recognized.

"Hey Kairi!" 

Pinocchio beamed as Kairi entered the shop. She seemed distracted, only sending him a very hasty smile and greeting before turning towards the other side of the shop.

"Hello Pinocchio."

"You're here early," he said cheerfully. "Looking for something?"

Kairi didn't pause in her search as she answered him.

"Yes, actually," she said, "but I've already found it, so there'sno need for any help."

Not that she thought he could have been any help in these circumstances. 

~Yes!

Kairi gave a mental shout of triumph whenshe spotted the glimmer. The gate sparkled brightly in the dusty room, only half-hiddenwhere it floated above the toy rack. Kairi pulled out her heartkey, focusing completely on her goal without paying the least bit of notice to the boy behind her. Pinocchio gave a gasp of excitement when he saw the wand shining in her hand.

"Wow! Are you going to do magic or something?"

Kairi flapped a distracted hand at him.

"Yes, and if you would please stand back a bit."

Pinocchio retreated a step, his gaze still set on Kairi and her unexplained actions. His eyes widened when he saw the portal materialize.

"That looks so cool!! How'd you do that?" Pinocchio leaned up over the side of the table to get a better look.

There was no answer, as Kairi had already plunged through the door.

Kairi sensed the difference immediately. For a split second, she had the notion that the portal hadn't been made of her heart's light as it usually seemed to be. It hadn't even been summoned by darkness. Rather, it was a power other than darkness or light, an energy almost reminiscent of that which had been hidden beneath the cloaks of the Nobody.****

Then those thoughts were gone and she found herself drowning in nothing. When she tried to look around, she couldn't see, but it wasn't as if she had suddenly gone blind. It wasmore likethere was nothing /to/ see. When she tried to flail her arms and legs, she couldn't feel anything there anymore, as if her body, or her awareness of her body, had vanished. She wasn't falling or floating or standing on anything. She was simply /there/, suspended in this inexistence and waiting...waiting for what? Panic began to overtake her mind when she was suddenly released into a blast of light and cold air.

Kairi collapsed to her knees as she fell from the gate in the throne room. She stared at her hands pressed flat against the tiles, a feeling of relief washing over her as she took several ragged breaths. A tremor ran through her body as she slowly stood up on wobbly legs. The colors of her wand shimmered black, gray, and white, running over the length of the baton like water, or waves of color in an opal, before it returned to its former appearance. Kairi stared at it for a moment, but when nothing else occurred she finally dismissed the key. She clasped her arms over her chest, shivering slightly. That nothingness had only lasted for a few seconds, but it had seemed like she would be trapped in it forever. She couldn't get over the feeling that she had had in it--not any real emotion, but a sense of utter emptiness.

A power other than light or darkness...had that been a sort of trap set by the Nobody? 

~The Nonexistent ones...what are they up to?

Then she straightened, smiling cynically.

~As if the Heartless weren't enough for us to contend with

Shaking her head, she made her way towards the door.

###

Daisy and Minnie were in the library when Donald and Goofy took Sora up to meet the court ladies. The queen smiled warmly when Sora was introduced.

"It's so good to finally meet you," she said kindly. "We've heard so much about the young keyblade master. Please, take a seat."

"Well? Are you going to explain yourself now?" Donald asked.

"Yah; what's happened to you Sora?" Goofy pressed. "How'd you finally get to the castle?"

Sora settled into one the chairs, holding his hands together on his knees. He looked at them expectantly.

"Shouldn't we wait for the King before I start?"

Minnie shook her head. "I'm sorry, but Mickey isn't here."

"What?!" Sora exclaimed.

"Well at least for the moment," Queen Minnie added, almost apologetically. "He said he'd return in a day or so."

Sora dropped back into the cushions of his chair feeling somewhat disappointed. Donald eyed him impatiently.

"Whether or not the king's present, I think we'd still like to hear your story," Donald said.

Sora sunk deeper into his chair, giving Donald an inscrutable look. 

"Patience is a virtue, you know."

"Sora!"

Sora held up his hands defensively at the duck's sudden burst of irritation, a grin on his face.

"Just kidding, just kidding..."

Sora explained to them the events that had occurred after the trio had parted ways five years past and then all that had happened in Hollow Bastion after Kairi, Riku, and Sei had left Disney Castle, ending with their separation as they had tried to leave Hollow Bastion's world.

"Seems like you four have had your hands full with all these going-ons," Daisy remarked. "Quite a surprising twist of fate, wouldn't you agree, Minnie?"

"Most surprising," Minnie consented. 

The queen sighed to herself. "It really is too bad Mickey wasn't here to listen to all this."

"Do you have any idea what he's doing?" Sora asked finally.

Minnie shrugged. "I'm terribly sorry, Sora. All my husband told me was that he had some important business to attend to but that he wouldn't be long and not to worry."

She smiled ruefully. "My husband can be rather...secretive at times."

"Secretive is putting it a bit mildly, don't you think?" Daisy remarked primly.

"But his highness has always been able to take care of himself, so I'm sure he's just fine," Goofy said with his usual optimism. "Though I guess that means you'll have to wait around a bit fer him, Sora."

Sora waved his hand with apparent lack of interest.

"I probably wouldn't have been able to get off this world in a hurry anyway...Kairi was the only one of us able to open portals between the worlds."

"In other words, you're stuck here until Kairi and your other friends can come to pick you up," Daisy stated. "Or something else drastic happens."

"Pretty much." 

Although he tried to sound casual, Sora felt fidgety, as if he desperately needed to /do/ something. He hated the idea of sitting here in safety while he still had no idea what had happened to his friends, whether or not they were safe or even together. If Gummi ships had still been useful, he was sure he would have been out of there in a heartbeat, regardless of whether or not he had seen the king.

Minnie clucked her tongue sympathetically, sensing his unease.

"As long as you're here, you'll need to take the opportunity to rest; who knows what you'll be facing next? And perhaps the wait will be worth it--my husband might bring back important news."

Sora only felt slight comfort at these words.

"Maybe."

He thought about her statement for a few moments. Would more news be a good or a bad thing?

"Well, how about something to eat?" Daisy offered. "I'm sure you're starving after such a rough day."

Sora nodded. "I guess having a bite to eat sounds okay."

"Great; it shouldn't be any trouble grabbing you something from the kitchen.

Sora stood up to follow Daisy out of the room. 

"Please just make yourself at home here," Minnie told him before he left.

"And try to take it easy for a few hours," Donald said brusquely.

Sora smiled slightly as he exited the room.

"All right. See you all later then."

Daisy led him swiftly through the corridors, passing various rooms and residents of the castle. The female duck opened a door, and the two walked into a large, busy kitchen. Rich smells from the recent dinner still permeated the air.

"Help yourself to anything you see," Daisy said. "Or we can have the cook whip up a hot meal for you, if you want."

In spite of Daisy's offer, Sora didn't feel up to much more than a light snack and began rummaging around in a small fridge. At length, he grabbed a bottle of soda and a plate of leftover ham sandwiches from the top shelf. He nudged the fridge door closed behind him with the back of his heel.

"Will that be all?" Daisy asked.

Sora nodded. "I'm not feeling too hungry, so this will be fine."

"Very well. I'll just show you to your room then."

Daisy proceeded to guide Sora through the castle. The sky had already darkened into velvet night outside, and lamps of blown-glass and metal had been lit to cheerfully lighten the halls.

"So has this world had much trouble with the Heartless?" Sora asked as they walked through the spacious halls.

"Hmm? Oh, actually no, not really. This world has always had special protection against the Heartless--no doubt thanks to his majesty's efforts--and Mickey locked this world's keyhole when he came back from his travels."

Sora mulled this over as he walked behind Daisy, thinking about the mouse sovereign and his role in the grand scheme of things.

"King Mickey has always known about the Heartless, hasn't he? About the keyblades and everything. I wonder how that is? He even seems to know more than Ansem at times--and Ansem knows more than should be good for anyone."

Daisy smiled at Sora's words. "Ah, well, however he gains his knowledge, he has always used it to help the worlds fight the darkness. Very mysterious, isn't he? But, I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you, Sora."

"I guess you're probably right," Sora said doubtfully.

They stopped at the end of a softly lit corridor, and Daisy opened the last door on their left.

"Here we are," she announced. "If you need anything, feel free to ask any of the servants. I'll be upstairs with Minnie and Goofy and Donald in the library. You've been around here before, so I trust you don't need too much help getting around?"

Sora nodded, setting his plate and soda bottle on a table near the windows.

"All right. I suppose I'll be seeing you in the morning then, Sora."

Daisy exited the room, covering a yawn with one white hand. Sora switched on a lamp, then settled down at a table to eat his sandwiches before heading off to bed.

### 

Sora was standing in that world of sky once again. More and more he seemed to be returning to this place, but he didn't let any uncertain thoughts bother him. Somehow, it felt /right/ to be here. He basked in its glory, feeling the soft, gentle light flow over and in him, cool and refreshing as water. There was a quiet serenity all around him. Yet, even in this peace Sora felt a slight prick of unease at the back of his mind.

~You've grown quite strong in these passing years

Sora paused. He looked around him, trying to locate the source of the voice.

~A hero truly worthy of wielding a keyblade

He frowned, not seeing anyone. "Who's there?"

Sora recognized who this was almost before the question had left his lips. He stopped trying to find the mysterious speaker, knowing that he would never find anyone.

"That voice," Sora muttered softly. "The voice from my dreams. Who are you?" he demanded.

There was warmth and slight amusement in the voice when it spoke next.

~We've met before, young keyblade master 

"Can't you be a little more specific than that?"

The voice chuckled.

~The question of my identity is of little importance at this time

Sora sighed, giving up. "Whatever."

He plopped down on the vague, unspecified substance beneath him. Sand, maybe? Or simply light and air...or glass pretending to be air. He found it hard to define something that kept changing before he could properly set his mind on it.

~The day you open the door is approaching quickly. Although you have passed many obstacles and the conditions of this conflict are close to being met, there is still much to be accomplished

The voice paused, then said musingly ~The Separation has done what was necessary. I wonder...are you ready?

Sora didn't like the sound of those words.

"What are you talking about?" Sora asked. "There's more to this quest that you're not telling me, isn't there?"

~There is much you do not know or understand. However, now is not the moment at which I can reveal to you what you wish to know. I do ask, though, that you trust me.****

Trust? Sora felt a prickle of doubt. How could he trust this voice, this being that had never revealed itself outside of his dreams and visions? Yet, then again, it had never given him any reason /not/ to trust it.

"You know everything, don't you?" Sora asked at length.

The voice did not reply, and Sora sat unmoving--unnerved really--as he waited. For a moment nothing happened. Then...

~In every heart exists darkness. Even the purest heart contains a seed that, if given the chance, can spread and swallow the heart. 

Sora struggled to focus on the voice. It was becoming harder to listen. The world was growing hazy, indistinct, and increasingly difficult to hold onto.

~The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes****

Sora blinked, but nothing--his thoughts or the world around him--became any sharper for his efforts.

"Huh?" he got out at last. "But, what's that supposed to..."

###

"...mean?"

Sora found himself lying on his back in his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. It seemed to be early morning now by the wash of pale light that bathed the room, but he didn't feel sleepy anymore. The brown-haired young man took a deep breath, then exhaled noisily. 

"Too weird," he muttered to no one in particular.

What time was it now? Sora started to roll over in his sheets to get a look at the clock when a pale, blindfolded face lurched into view. Sora nearly jumped from shock as he sat straight up.

"Riku!!!"

For a moment, Sora forgot the strangeness of the situation, and his mouth broke into a relieved, toothy grin.

"Thank God you're all right! Where have you--??" 

Sora abruptly broke off. Riku had summoned the Oblivion into his hand, and Sora stared at it in bewilderment. Then he dove for the floor as a black blur suddenly was thrust at his chest. When he looked back, Riku was calmly pulling his keyblade from a splintered hole in the bedpost. From his new position, Sora could see the tendrils of darkness that writhed on the floor around Riku's feet and quickly vanished. Sora's eyes grew wide.

"What the hell?!?"

Sora leapt back as the young man dashed forward with his keyblade, narrowly missing a strike to Sora's head. 

"Riku! What are you doing?" Sora demanded. He summoned the Oathkeeper, holding it in a defensive stance.

Riku turned the arc made by his first movement back on itself to cut again at Sora. This time Sora was ready for the attack and blocked with the side of his Oathkeeper. He shoved Riku back with the keyblade and then parried another downward slash towards his legs. Throughout all this, Riku's face had remained impassive, and he hadn't made a sound.

"What's wrong with you, Riku?" Sora shouted. "Snap out of it!"

The Oblivion smashed into a large mirror as Sora ducked to one side, bits of glass scattering onto the floor and the small table beneath the mirror. Even as Sora stayed unwavering in his defensive tactics, doubts began to trickle into his mind. 

It wouldn't be the first time that his friend had allowed himself to be played into being puppet for the darkness.

~But...Riku's stronger than that! I know he is!

Sora winced as the keyblades made contact again, flashing white and black in the sunlight and sending a jarring tremor through his sword arm.

~Isn't he?

Sora hesitated briefly, then cut towards Riku's side with his keyblade, a movement that his opponent easily blocked with one upwards stroke. He followed with a straight cut towards Sora's head and then another strike angled just to the right, both of which Sora blocked.

"Please, Riku..." Sora pleaded, uncertain if Riku could even hear him.

After what had happened with Ansem and Kingdom Hearts, Sora had been certain that Riku would never allow the darkness to take him again. But at the same time, Sora couldn't lie to himself about the darkness he knew still veiled his friend's heart.

~Damnit!****

Sora didn't know if he could bring himself to hurt Riku. Not again.

Riku took advantage of Sora's indecision and darted closer. He knocked aside Sora's block, and Sora bit back a cry of pain as the Oblivion cut into his left shoulder. Warm blood tricked down his skin. His opponent kicked him in the side before he could make another move and brought the Oblivion keyblade down again to strike the top of Sora's head with its flat edge. The silver haired man grabbed Sora, his fingers disappearing into the younger man's flesh. Sora screamed as numbing ice wrapped itself around his heart, tugging almost gently. Through the haze of pain, he heard Riku speak for the first time, his voice monotonous and void of all emotion.

"What is the difference between the light and the darkness, I ask you?" He tilted his head slightly, as if inquiring. "Both are powers that seek to take the world. They tell us: light brings people happiness. I say to you that darkness takes away all pain. The Heartless do not suffer the weight of weak emotions. They only seek to return all hearts to their genesis-the Great Heart, from where all light and darkness have been born." 

Oblivion disappeared, and Riku reached up with his free hand to pull away the blindfold. It was the first time Sora had seen Riku take it off. Riku stared at Sora through his unsettling buttery eyes, not a hint of emotion apparent in them.

"How does that sound, Sora? A universe of no hurt, no feelings of sorrow or sadness...absolute perfection."

He paused, obviously waiting for a response.

"Practically nothing else either--no love or warmth or friendship...Riku would never wish for a world that barren!" Sora's voice was hoarse as he struggled against the pain exploding in his chest. "And neither would I...not for something that terrible!" 

Sora was still clutching the Oathkeeper, and now his fingers tightened resolutely around its handle.

"Wake /up/ Riku!!"

Sora swung his keyblade up and downwards, hitting the arm that was sunken wrist-deep into his body. Light poured from his heart, and Riku snatched his hand away from Sora's body. Sora thrust his keyblade forward. He wasn't sure what he meant or had meant to do, what with Riku in this state. All he knew was that he had to protect himself and keep Riku from trying to take his heart again. The Oathkeeper pierced through the flesh of Riku's chest, and for a moment it blazed hot white. Then its gleam faded as blood as black as night began to drip from Riku's wound and down the length of the Oathkeeper still imbedded in his body.

Sora stared, horrorstruckat this scene before him. 

~Goddess, what have I done?

He couldn't get his mind to think straight or beyond the immediate present. Something seemed to flicker in Riku's eyes at last, and then he whispered something so softly that Sora almost didn't hear it.

"Forgive me...Sora."

The Oathkeeper clattered to the ground, and Riku crumpled into a heap on the floor. Dark shadows began to converge around Riku's body and swallow him within their depths.

"NO!! RIKUUU!!!"

~The closer you get to light...****

Sora stumbled forward and desperately clawed at the inky darkness seizing his friend. The darkness slid through his hand like oil, and Riku vanished from sight along with the darkness, leaving only stains of dark, ebony blood on the floor to mark that he had ever been there.

~...the greater your shadow becomes

A sob escaped Sora's throat before he could stop it, and he pounded the floor with his fist.

"No..."

The door flew open, and there was a succession of muffled gasps. Sora didn't pay any attention to the newcomers as he stared fixedly at the floor. One of the group detached themselves from the onlookers and stepped into the room.

"Curaga!"

Green magic washed over Sora's body, healing his wounds and closing the cut on his shoulder. Sora didn't make any movement or noise to indicate that he had noticed the change. Kairi knelt down by his side, gazing at his face.

"Sora...what's the matter?" Her voice was quiet with concern.

Sora covered his face with his hands. He didn't protest when Kairi encircled him in her arms and held him close without speaking. They sat there for a few moments, Sora slowly gaining comfort from Kairi's presence, before he spoke.

"I wonder if it really was my fault that Riku got stuck in the darkness," Sora whispered. 

Kairi turned her head to try to read the expression on his face, to see where this was going, although by now she had a pretty good idea.

"He did it because he thought I abandoned him, right?" Sora continued. "I should been stronger. Maybe if I had, none of this would have happened."

"Sora, what are you talking about?"

Donald and Goofy drew closer now from their place in the doorway. The dog and duck had escorted Kairi from the front hall to Sora's room after she had arrived in their world. Their gazes froze on the blood on the floor and on the Oathkeeper.

"Gawrsh Sora, what were you fighting?" Goofy asked, appalled. 

"Are you okay?"

Donald walked the length of the room with his mage rod in hand, surveying the damage with a frown. "Well, whatever it was, it's gone now."

The duck crossed his arms over his chest, letting out a long breath.

"Hope it isn't loose in the castle or something."

Sora stood slowly, Kairi helping him up.

"'It,'" Sora said, pain still evident in his voice, "was Riku. He attacked me with Oblivion, and that-" he gestured towards the floor and his keyblade "--is Riku's blood."

Donald made a screeching squawk of shock, while Goofy looked completely nonplussed at this statement. 

Kairi looked horrified. "No! Riku would never do anything like that! He's our friend, and I know he cares too much about you to hurt you!"

"There's got to be some kind of mistake!" Donald exclaimed.

Goofy nodded emphatically.

"Kairi and Donald are right," the lanky dog agreed. "Riku may not have come off as very nice when me and Donald first met 'em, but I know he'd never attack you like that."

Sora shook his head slowly, unsure of how to explain, especially when he was doubtful of the circumstances himself.

A shy knock shifted everyone's attention to the door of the room. A young fox boy in the servants' livery stood waiting, shuffling his feet nervously.

"I've got a message from Her Majesty," he said anxiously. "I was to inform you honored sirs and lady that His Majesty, King Mickey, has returned to the castle and requests your presence."

The group silently exchanged glances, wondering at what this could mean. 

"I'm to show you to him," the fox boy stammered at last, obviously feeling the unease in the atmosphere.

"Is it about Riku?" Desperation tinged Sora's voice as he spoke. "What's he here for?"

"I-I don't know. He didn't say."

Donald made a noise of exasperation.

"Of course this kid wouldn't know. Well, come on," the duck snapped as he started forward. "You're not learning anything staying here."

The four quickly hurried to follow the servant boy out into the hall.****


	13. The Shores of Yesterday

"37, 38, 39, 40, 41."

A slender figure burst to the surface of the water and took several deep breaths, wiping the salty water from her face with one hand.

"How'd I do this time?"

The sun was setting on the horizon, coating the cloudless sky above in the enamel of sunset. Tidus grinned as he looked at Yuna.

"Two minutes and forty-one seconds. How's that for a record?"

He held up a hand, and Yuna slapped him a high-five, laughing although also a little embarrassed. 

"Practice pays off, right?"

"Right," Yuna agreed, still smiling. Tidus took her hand, and together they began sloshing back towards the beach.

She hadsaid she was interested in learning how they held their breaths so long underwater, but it really was an excuse to do something with him. Tidus didn't seem to mind. There were a few tricks to it that Yuna had had trouble understanding at first, but now with a lot of practice, she could top two minutes underwater. She didn't have much free time outside of her studies with Miss Steena, not between her studies of healing, the teachings, her temple duties, and summoning. But whenever she could, she'd try to find an hour or two to wander down to the beach and find him.

"You work too hard, you know that?" Tidus had once said.

"You want to be a healer, maybe even a priestess like you**r** teacher Steena. You want to make people happy." He hesitated, perhaps a little self-conscious about what he had to say next. "But, can't you take a little more time for your own happiness?"

Two minutes and forty-one seconds. A moment in the sunset with Tidus. It wasn't much, but for Yuna it was everything. 

A quiet sort of happiness. For now, it was enough.

A girl on crutches hobbled down the beach towards the pair. Selphie had broken her leg the previous week while rough-housing with Tidus and Wakka on the paopu island. Behind the girl, Yuna could hear Wakka calling for her to slow down and be more careful unless she wanted to end up breaking the other leg. Which wouldn't have been too terribly surprising.

"Yuna!! Tidus!!!"

Selphie was desperately trying to wave and catch their attention, while at the same time keep a firm hold on her crutches. Both Tidus and Yuna could read the worry in her face, and they quickened their strides towardland.

"What is it Selphie?" Yuna asked when they had reached the sand.

Selphie gestured wildly to an indefinite point behind them.

"An angel! An angel just fell from the sky into the ocean!!"

Yuna and Tidus exchanged glances. Wakka scratched his head in confusion.

"An angel," Tidus echoed, skepticism in his voice.

"Yes!!" Selphie's voice was rising from panic. "I saw someone fall from the sky, and they had /wings/! Look!"

Selphie pointed beyond them towards the ocean. Three pairs of eyes turned to the area she was indicating. It was hard to see anything distinguishable in the glare of the setting sun and the tossing of the waves. Yet, after a moment, they sawthe unmistakable shape of a human being dipped in and out of view, carried by the water.

"He's going to drown if someone doesn't get to him quick!" Selphie cried. "I'd do it myself if I could!"

"We won't reach him in time, no matter how fast we swim," Wakka pointed out grimly.

"Oh, you guys are being so useless!"

Yuna stared out at the sea, trying to find where the person was. 

There!

"Everyone stand back."

Yuna's calm voice cut through the air, silencing her companions. 

"I'm going to do a summoning."

Everyone did as they were told without speaking further, watching Yuna in awe. Summonings weren't done lightly, and Steena had never permitted Yuna to do one outside the temple.

Yuna closed her eyes, spreading her arms out, then pressing her palms together in front of her chest. An avian shriek pierced the silence, and a giant bird began to materialize above them. It dove towards the earth, clear as crystal at first, then gaining solidity and color as it neared the humans on the beach. Sand and wind blew upwards as the creature alighted beside Yuna, it's wings outstretched for balance.****

"Tidus, get on Valefor!" Yuna ordered. "I'll tell it where to take you."

Tidus hesitated, then nervously climbed onto the summon's back, staring down at Yuna.

"You're not coming?"

The summoner shook her head.

"They'll be too many people for it to carry. Now don't waste any more time!"

Valefor pushed off fromthe earth, flapping powerful wings. With another cry, it turned and began to fly with its passenger across the waves.

###

Rikku of the Al-Bhed slid down the outcrop of dark soil and rock, then jumped lightly to the damp canyon floor. Light flashed from the early morning sun across the glass falls and their diamond surface, causing the young woman to squint for a moment as she surveyed the area. Her mouth curved into a broad grin as she watched the falls. It didn't matter how many times she had seen these magicked waters. The fact still stood that the Shatterglass was /gorgeous/, and Rikku knew how to appreciate the finer things in life. She took another moment to gaze at the cascades before snapping her mind back to attention.

Righto. Cid would have her hide if she dawdled around here all day, what with everything else that had to be done. It wasn't as if he had given her a particularly difficult job;**) **fix the lift by the base of the falls, then report back for her next duty. Apparently the lift had been broken for two weeks now, but hardly anyone ever used it, so fixing the thing had been put off until now. Rikku tugged idly at her hair-tie, then walked down the bank towards the waterfall, her shoes crunching in the pebbled soil.

Rikku jumped as two buttery golden orbs flashed for a moment from between two boulders before disappearing from sight. Her hands went instinctively down to the blades sheathed at her hips. Cid's gruff voice flitted unbidden into her mind.

~Don't forget to take some protection while yer down there! Wouldn't be wanting your sorry ass to be caught unawares if there are any Heartless

As if she had really needed the warning. Not after that attack on Verus. She shivered despite the warm sun on her skin, then started forward again.

~Come on Rikku!~ she tried to tell herself 

~You can handle any stupid Heartless that might still be here-

"Ack!"

Her thoughts were cut off by her own shriek of surprise. A large, shadowy orb darted from its hiding place, claws outstretched. Rikku pulled the long, curved blade from its sheath, sweeping it upwards to cut into the Dark Ball in one movement. The Dark Ball fell back, stunned by the attack, and was quickly finished off with another downward sweep. Three Shadow heartless appeared from the earth. The first one vanished into smoke when Rikku kicked it into the river. The remaining pair was quickly dispatched in a flurry of Rikku's blades. Breathing heavily--more from anxiety than the exertion--Rikku sighed, sheathing her new weapons.

~Thank you Brother!

The blades had been a gift from Brother her last birthday, and man! was she thankful for them now. Humming now almost cheerfully, she strode again towards her target.

~Ne?

Someone seemed to be lying on the bank near the water. For the moment he was mostly hidden from view, except for a head of tousled silver hair. As Rikku drew closer, she let out a little cry of shock. Bright yellow eyes stared at her from beneath a fringe of white bangs, completely empty as they regarded the intruder. A pale hand was pressed to a gash on his chest from which inky black blood glistened.

"Eeep! Are you all right?"

Rikku scrambled down to where the young man was sprawled.

"Don't worry--I'm coming to help."

She did a double take when she saw his face.

"You're...you're one of the keyblade masters, aren't you?" she stammered. "Riku, wasn't it?"

Could this really be the same guy she had seen before? He looked almost like...like a heartless.

A keyblade master that looked as if he was half-heartless himself. Well that wascertainly a kick to the head. And what was he doing back here? Rikku had seen to the off-worlders' ship herself. She bit her lip anxiously. This felt all wrong and totally weird, but she had to do /something/.

"Never mind. You know what, just hang on for a sec. I'm going to try to fix a lift near here, and then we can use that to get you to the castle and some medical attention. Do you think you can stand up?"

Riku didn't answer. Rikku wasn't even sure if he was paying any attention to her. The silver-haired man was looking away, using a knife to cut away at the material of his black shirt. She watched quizzically for a moment before realizing what he was doing.

~Another blindfold?

"Here, let me help you."

Rikku knelt down by his side, plucked the knife from his fingers, and began cutting a neat strip from the cloth.

"Looks like this shirt is ruined anyway," she muttered as she worked. "We can get you something new once we get up to the castle. We can get you a better blindfold too, but it seems like you're determined to cover your eyes /now/."

Rikku took the strip and helped him tie it over his face, then leaned back to examine the effect.

"Not too bad, if I say so myself."

She stood up. Riku was looking at her again, but it wasn't so uncomfortable with his unsettling eyes hidden.

"Who are you?" His voice sounded hoarse, and she could hear a trace of uncertainty. He looked around at their surroundings as if for the first time noticing them. "What's this place?"

"Well, I'm Rikku...and, uhh...that's spelled with two k's, not one like yours, and um--" Rikku suddenly felt very awkward, "--this is Hollow Bastion, in the canyon down by the waterfalls."

She studied Riku closely for a moment. Geez, it looked as though he'd been through a lot. And was he alone?? She didn't like the thought of leaving him alone like this, but...

"Like I said, I'm going to go fix the lift. This'll just take a minute, so don't worry, I'll be back. Just, don't move or go anywhere 'til I'm finished!"

Rikku turned before she could change her mind and jogged down the bank until she was completely hidden from Riku's view by the waterfall. The lift stood completely intact in its place, if a bit battered around the edges. She took out her repair kit and opened a latch near the bottom of the lift. Hmm...it seemed to be in much better shape than she hadanticipated. A five-minute job, tops! Several wires were broken--which she easily mended--and she replaced the power box--which had been smashed due to the accident that had broken the lift in the first place. This completed, she gave the lift an once-over to make sure everything else was fine, then hurried back to Riku.

"Give me your arm--I'll help you walk."

She didn't wait for an answer, only grabbing Riku's arm and hauling it over her shoulders so that he was half leaning on her. She was light and small-framed by nature, making this task particularly difficult, but the two of them managed to shuffle onto the lift. Rikku set Riku down on the floor and then punched the coordinates on the control panel. 

For the next few moments, there were only the sounds of rushing water and of the lift rising in the air. Inside, Rikku felt as if she desperately needed to fill the silence with some sort of conversation--even her own inane babbling if it got to that--but Riku made her too nervous to do even that. Funny. Not too many people ever made her feel really uneasy. Not even cranky old Auron.

The lift reached the first floor, and Rikku again hauled Riku to his feet.

"Thank you."

Rikku turned wide emerald eyes towards the young man leaning on her, surprised despite herself by these words.

"Sure. I mean-" Rikku was gaining courage at this gesture of friendliness. "-it's not like I could have just left you there or anything. It's no biggie." 

She broke off at that as several nearby people noticed the pair and rushed towards them with exclamations of shock and concern.

"We need to get him to a Healer!" Rikku said loudly above the group's din. 

"And, ah, could someone /please/ help me carry him?"

###

Darkness. 

Riku was surrounded by a darkness so cold it numbed away his mind. His thoughts, his feelings, his body...it was almost as if they had ceased to exist. The darkness felt as empty as air, yet at the same time as soft as silk. He wrapped himself deeper in the darkness.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized he should have been afraid. He should have loathed this darkness that cloaked him and swept through his body. All of this, he supposed, /should/ have bothered him, but it didn't. It felt calming, serene. This emptiness of mind felt soothing, but, especially, it felt /right/, and that should have been the scariest thing of all.

And for a time, that was how it was. Until Sora's keyblade had awoken that old, distant part of him that still feared the darkness. With that awakening had come a flood of confusion. Those feelings made him fight, made his mind think and question everything that was happening to him.

~I don't understand

Didn't he hate the darkness?

~It's made me lose everything

Sora. Kairi. 

Five years ago, he'd almost lost everyone who had ever been important.

~I'm sorry

He couldn't fight the darkness.

~Forgive me, Sora

And maybe...he didn't want to.

Riku laughed, his voice quickly swallowed up in the oblivion. 

###

When he opens his eyes, he is sitting in the sand, ebony blood smeared on his hands and wet on his chest and shirt. Pain blazes from the cut on his chest, a steady, burning throb, but Riku isn't thinking about that. He is touching shaking fingertips to his cheeks, feeling the salty warm tears slide down his skin.

He is floating between his dreams and his reality. He sees the sun and the moon, the land and the stars. Day and night...light and darkness...

Footsteps crunch in the sand, drawing closer to where he is sprawled.

"Are you all right?"

###

For the first few moments, all he wanted to do was lie there. Every muscle in his body ached, and nothing felt better than snuggling beneath the soft, cool sheets of the bed, feeling the soft wind on his face andarms. If he inhaled deeply, he thought he could smell a slight, sharp trace of salt and sand.

The ocean? 

At last his mind began rousing from sleep. He couldn't remember ever getting into a bed, much less one that was apparently near a source of saltwater. Where was he...? Sei opened his eyes. 

And almost immediately gave a cry of dismay and shock. Ansem sat on a windowsill overlooking the sea, his long, silver hair glinting in the bright sunlight. He turned his head to look at Sei when he heard the noise, one brow slightly arched in disdain.

"You!" Sei sputtered, sitting straight up in the bed.

What a way to wake up in the morning.

"Yes, me," Ansem answered lightly, his mouth set into a tight smile.

Sei glowered at him with unveiled hostility.

"What in Hades is going on? How'd you--what are you-"

"Doing out here?" Ansem finished. He was smirking slightly now, enjoying putting his "light" into such a fluster.

"I grew weary of waiting for you to wake up, of course. This," he gestured at himself, "is merely a projection of myself using the energy of our heart, but surely you already knew that."

To illustrate, Ansem casually passed his hand through a pot of flowers sitting beside him. 

Sei closed his eyes, silently drawing in a deep breath before opening them again.

"Fine, whatever." 

What was going on? Sei tried to think back to the last thing he remembered. Sky, falling away at a dizzying speed...waves, hitting them like slamming against a concrete wall...water, complete unconsciousness...

Of course, none of that made any sense. Kairi's portal should have deposited all of them in Traverse Town. Sei looked down at himself, for the first time becoming aware of what he was wearing: a white shirt and cream-colored shorts. Both were at least two sizes too large.

"Where are we?" Sei asked, looking up.

Ansem shrugged. "Apparently an island of some sort. I'm not sure where or what it is called, but that shouldn't be too difficult to discover; we may be here awhile."

Sei was nonplussed.

"What?"

The sound of someone knocking on the bedroom door interrupted them. A brown-haired young woman opened the door, peering inside. She smiled warmly when her eyes met Sei's, and shestepped inside, clasping her hands together in front of her flowered skirt.

"Good morning," she greeted.

The sound of wood striking wood came from the outside hall, and another girl stuck her head in. This one had lighter brown hairthat curled outwards at her shoulders and was wearing an orange dress. She grinned, waving a hand while clutching at a pair of crutches.

"So you're finally awake!" the newcomer said cheerily. She hobbled in, looking around with interest. After a moment, though, a few cursory glances drew an expression of confusion.

"Um...wasn't there, like, someone else in here? We thought we heard you talking."

Sei looked over at where Ansem had been just a few moments before.

"Yeah--I was talking to...to myself," Sei finished, feeling increasingly foolish even as the words came out of his mouth.

~At least you are being honest~ Ansem commented musingly. Sei could practically see the amused look on his face.

~Ha, ha, shut the hell up

"My name is Yuna," the first girl said quickly, seeing Sei's discomfort.

The second girl plopped down on a chair across the room, dropping her crutches unceremoniously in the corner beside her.

"I'm Selphie, pleased to meetcha!"

Sei smiled faintly. "My name is Sei."

"We rescued you from drowning out in the ocean last night!" Selphie said. "You've been sleeping since then. Yuna was awesome! She used a summon to send Tidus out to save you!"

"It was actually Selphie who saw you first," Yuna said. Her even, tranquil voice was quite a contrast to Selphie's animated chatter. "She said she saw you falling from the sky, with wings."

Selphie didn't look the slightest bit abashed. "You looked just like an angel, the way it happened--but," she shrugged, "I guess if you aren't, you aren't."

Yuna chuckled at her friend's sentiments. "And it looks like you don't have wings, either. I'm sorry, but Selphie's a bit of a romantic."

Selphie pretended to pout. "So? I think everyone needs a bit of romance in their lives. Makes things more interesting. Besides, romance or not, you know I could still beat anyone senseless with my nunchaku."

She brandished her crutches like said weapons, striking a rather silly pose. Yuna giggled.

"Did you really fall from the sky?" Yuna asked, turning back to Sei. She was only half serious, and so was very surprised when Sei nodded. "How did that happen?"

Sei held up his hands helplessly.

"I really don't know." 

His expression became worried as he suddenly realized that the two girls had made no mention of Kairi, Riku, or Sora. "But was there anyone else? When you found me, I mean."

Yuna shook her head. "Tidus didn't mention seeing anyone else, and I'm sure Valefor would have known had there been. I'm sorry, but was there someone in particular?"

Sei hesitated.

"...yes, some friends of mine, but..." He shook his head. "Never mind."

"Hey," Selphie piped up. "If you've got friends, we'll keep our eyes peeled for anyone new on the islands."

Sei smiled. "Thank you both for everything. Where is this place, anyway?" ****

"Coeptus of the Destiny Island Archipelago," Yuna informed him. "It's not much--one of the smaller islands actually--but it's our home."

Destiny Islands?!? The astonishment must have been patent on his face.

"Was there ever anyone named Sora who lived here?" Sei asked.

Yuna and Selphie's eyes grew wide.

"You know him?" Selphie squeaked. "He and our friend Riku have been missing for five years. They say they're dead, but-"

She trailed off, thinking.

"And then Kairi disappeared a month ago," Yuna said quietly. She looked up to study Sei's face. "Your friends? The ones you mentioned earlier?"

"So they're still alive?!" Selphie looked as if she wanted to jump up and out of her chair when she saw the give-away expression on Sei's face. "Where have they been? How do you know them? What's been going on?!?!"

"Selphie, calm down. I think you're scaring him," Yuna said, a wry smile twitching at her lips.

Selphie frowned.

"But, Yuna..."

Selphie was obviously disappointed that she couldn't harry Sei until she had squeezed all the answers to her questions out of him. Or at least beat him over the head with a stick until he talked.

"That's enough," Yuna said, a sort of finality in her words.

"We'll be going outside now," Yuna continued, now talking to Sei. "Your old clothes haven't been cleaned yet, but we've brought you some that you can borrow."

She pointed towards a small pile at the end of his bed.

"So, go ahead and get cleaned up, and we'll have something for you to eat in the kitchen. Come on, Selphie."

Yuna exited the room. Selphie followed quietly, but not before throwing one last dissatisfied look at Sei. Sei shook his head, unsure of what it was he had just gotten himself into.

Once the girls were gone, Sei got out of bed and headed into the bathroom for a shower. His dark side reappeared when he had just finished drying himself and was getting dressed.

"Destiny Islands, who would have guessed?" Ansem remarked, lounging on a small dresser. "There's a certain irony to that."

"Hmph," Sei said noncommittally, twiddling with the ties at the collar of his shirt. "I'm wondering what happened to the others and why we were separated-if that is the case, of course."

"Why, not how?"

Sei glanced sideways over at Ansem before plucking a comb off the table. 

"You know me better than that. How is irrelevant when it seems that everything that has been happening over the past fourteen years has happened for a reason, no matter how inexplicable."

Sei paused from attempting to untangle the snarls in his hair and stared at the comb, from which one tooth was now missing.****

"You know," he said finally, "this is the reason I stopped letting my hair get any farther than my shoulders. Back when I was at Hollow Bastion, I could afford a little vanity. Now it's too much of a hassle."****

He dragged the comb a few more times through his hair, then tied it back and slipped on a pair of sandals that had been left out for him.

There was no one inside when he left his room. On the kitchen table was a basket of freshly baked sweet rolls and a pitcher of clear water. The rolls were delicious, stuffed with fruit and a light, sweet syrup. Sei took two with him as he wandered outside into the bright, tropical sunlight.

###

"No way."

Tidus looked stunned as Selphie told him what she had seen and learned about Sei. Wakka stood up from the ground, holding the blitzball he had been playing with under his arm.

"And you say this guy's for real, ya?"

Tidus had been going over sword drills in the yard behind the house when Selphie came out, practically bursting with everything that she had to tell them.

"Completely, if maybe a little weird." 

She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "He said he was talking to himself before Yuna and I went into the room, but I could swear I heard someone else in there too--someone different. Yuna did too." 

She made a face.

"He seems nice and everything, but there's something fishy about him."

"Where is Yuna, anyway?" Tidus asked.

Selphie flapped her hand impatiently.

"Went to pick up some food from Lenna's 'cause we haven't had time to cook anything this morning. She wanted to talk to Sonia too, tell her about Sora, but I told her we shouldn't tell anything to anyone." Selphie's voice went plaintive. "You /know/ what Sora's mum has been like ever since he disappeared. We /can't/ get anyone's hopes up until we know for sure what's going on. You boys both got that?"

She sounded almost threatening. Anyone else might have laughed, but both Tidus and Wakka knew her well enough to take this seriously.

"Right."

"Got it."


	14. Before Breakfast

Less than an hour had passed since Riku had been recovered from the canyon by the waterfalls, and it wasstill early morning by any stretch. It was hard to believe how quickly everything had happened. Aerith could still feel the strain from that first shock of horror she had had when setting eyes on a bloodied Riku being hauled into the ward. It wasn't as if his condition had even been particularly bad—-being a healer at Hollow Bastion, she was liable to see far worse damage on any one person.

And yet, despite her concern for him, Aerith couldn't shake away a niggling feeling of doubt for the young man. It seemed like ever since the beginning he had been walking a precarious line between this world and the world of the Heartless and the slightest nudge would send him toppling over in the wrong direction. Now, between the black blood and the information that she had wheedled out of Rikku about Riku's eyes, it was too obvious. 

Aerith paused. Rikku about Riku's eyes...now that sounded a little weird coming out in words.****

Soft steps sounded behind her, accompanied by the rustling of clothing and then a warm, callused hand on her shoulder. Aerith had beenheating a kettle of hot water over the small stove when Cloud arrived, and she turned to smile at him.****

"Tea?" Aerith asked, holding up a small pot in a gesture of invitation.

Cloud shook his head as he wrapped his muscular arms gently around her, leaning his chin on her shoulder.  "No thanks; I can't stay too long." 

He brushed a tender kiss against her cheek.

"How is everything?"

"All right," Aerith replied, relaxing into his arms. "Not too bad, although I've had better days."

The kettle gave a shrill whistle as the water inside came to a boil, and Cloud released Aerith to allow her to take it off the stove.

"And Riku?"

Steam rose from the water as Aerith carefully poured it into the pot over the tealeaves. She pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"A lot better now, I think." She gestured with her free hand towards the teapot. "Are you sure you don't want any?"

Cloud declined the offer, and she set the kettle back onto the stove. She fished out two mismatched cups from the cupboard and set them on the counter. "And before you say anything, this one's for Riku—-I'm going to go check up on him again after the tea's done."

Cloud was quiet for a few moments. At his lapse into pensive silence, Aerith turned her head to look up into his face. 

"Something wrong?"

Cloud shrugged slightly.

"No. Only that...I heard that he was found in rather unusual circumstances. That he was alone, except for a few nearby Heartless."

Aerith was sure she knew exactly where this was going, but she prompted him further anyway.

"And?"

Cloud looked at her with his clear blue eyes, his expression heavily veiled.

"Just be careful around him, okay?

Getting straight to the point, was he? Huh. Well, that was Cloud for you. Aerith set the teapot and the two cups on a small tray.

"I don't like to think that Riku could somehow be a danger or an enemy to us." 

She picked up the tray and turned around, her skirt swishing lightly about her ankles. She was frowning slightly.

"I'm not saying you're wrong--because you're not. Yet, I think we should try to trust him, regardless of whether or not something has happened to him with the darkness. I don't believe he would actively try to betray us. Besides, you should know better than all of us what it's like to struggle with that power."

A smile tugged at Cloud's lips at her sentiments.

"How could I forget?" 

Aerith let out a soft little laugh, sadness in her eyes. There was a sudden, mental image of Cloud in her mind; a black leathery wing sprouted from his back and his prosthetic arm a burnished copper claw. These days it was easier for her to forget those not-so-distant days with the Heartless and Maleficent, Cloud missing for months at a time as she, Leon, Yuffie, and Cid stayed in Traverse Town. And then, sometimes there were those painful reminders, most recently a certain dual-blade wielding enigma of a man...

"...you know, it's hard to believe that Ansem's still alive, five years after his supposed death. And then," she added contemplatively, "maybe that it's not the "him" that we last remember--the seeker of darkness that Sora had fought--but a little bit of what existed from our childhood memories."****

"Now every time I think about him I can't help but see something more of Ansem, and its kind of scary," she confessed. "Or should I stop thinking of him as someone who had ceased to exist fourteen years ago?"****

Cloud blew out a long breath, obviously ill at ease.

"Sei's not Ansem anymore," he said quietly. "At least, not in the ways you would think."

Aerith regarded him quizzically.

"Sort of," she began slowly, "like the fact that you were not Sephiroth and Sephiroth was not you, although you both were parts of the same heart?"

"Sort of," Cloud conceded. Aerith was the only person he had ever shared the entirety of his story with. He still wasn't altogether sure how he felt about that fact.

"I see." Then she let out a relieved laugh. 

"Actually," she confessed "I'm kind of happy hearing something like that from you. I was beginning to become afraid that you might begrudge Sei for what happened."

"There is certainly reason enough for me," Cloud said with a sardonic smirk. "However, I have better things to do with my time than mull over the past. Unlike" he added, "a certain Leonhart we both know."

"Now that isn't a very nice thing to say," Aerith protested.

Cloud snorted. "Leon needs a kick to the head every once in a while to remind him of what's really important."

"Like /you/ don't," she retorted and then giggled despite herself. "But anyway, that's why he has Yuffie." Yuffie could bring out such unexpected sides of Leon without meaning to. 

Aerith shifted the weight of the tray in her hands, looking down at the ceramic pieces balanced on top.

"I'd better get going now before my arms fall off from holding this so long. I guess I'llsee you later Cloud."

Cloud nodded.

"All right."

They walked together out into the hall, Aerith pausing for a few moments to watch as Cloud disappeared from sight into a separate corridor. Then she turned and walked down another path towards the room Riku was staying in. The silver-haired young man was sitting at a table in the middle of the room and looked up quickly at the sound of her entrance. 

It was still very strange, looking at him wearing that blindfold. Aerith tried to imagine what he might look like if he were not wearing it. Then she wondered if perhaps it were better if she did not try.

"How are you feeling now, Riku?" she asked. "Better, I hope?"

Riku gave a slight, somewhat hesitant nod, and Aerith smiled warmly. He had been so quiet and withdrawn ever since he had arrived. It'd be difficult to get him to open up again, but Aerith was a patient woman. Of course, eventually she'd have to get him to tell her what had happened, but better not to press him too much yet.****

"That's good. You gave us all quite a scare, you know?" She sat down across from him and set down the tray. "I brought some tea. We should probably get you something to eat too, just to get your strength up."

She poured out the hot drink and then passed a cup to Riku. Picking up her own cup, she took a sip. For a moment she reveled in the soothing, earthy warmth as it trickled down her throat. What a morning this had been...

Riku took a sip as well, but it seemed more out of impulse and a need to do something with himself than anything else. After a few, silent moments, Aerith spoke up.

"You were in quite a state when they carried you here."

There was a clink as Riku put down his cup. She noticed that he refused to look into her face directly.

"What happened? Were all of you separated?"

Riku didn't answer. Then Aerith stopped her inquiry, looking past him as Yuffie walked into the room.

"Hello Aerith, Riku," Yuffie greeted. In spite of the smile on her lips, there was worry in her face. A stolid looking Leon followed behind the dark-haired ninja. 

"It looks like Aerith and the rest of the healers fixed you up pretty well, Riku," Yuffie continued. "Squall and I tried to come in to see you earlier, but there was such a commotion in here---they wouldn't let us in until things had quieted first.

"I thought I saw you earlier," Aerith remarked, looking amused. "But, didn't you have a meeting with Beatrix, Auron, and Kuja?" she asked, turning to Leon.

"I did," he agreed. "We've rescheduled to continue it later this evening as something came up--" Leon flicked his cool stare over to Riku very meaningfully. A flicker of distrust may have appeared on his face, but it was hard sometimes to tell with Leon.

"So what's going on?" Yuffie inquired. "All I caught coming in was something about being separated." 

She settled onto a third chair at the table, clasping her arms together on the top.

"So I'm assuming that's what happened, Riku. All of you were separated--or else I'd like to know why Kairi, Sora, and Sei aren't here with you now. Were you attacked by the Heartless? Or...perhaps the Nobody?"****

Her voice had become hushed at this point, treading over a matter none of them had any knowledge or experience with. 

She, Squall, and Aerith had dealt with Heartless for over nine years. As much as they hated the Heartless, as least they wereafamiliar threat. The Nobody...where were they to start if suddenly this was the issue they had to deal with?

Riku shook his head to her questions, his silver hair rustling about his pallid face.

"I don't know." 

Riku was careful to keep his voice as impassive as he could, but Aerith detected the trace of fear that had slipped out.

"Nothing?" Leon asked, a light touch of skepticism in his voice. Yuffie gave him a reproachful look.

"...I'm sorry. I have nothing else that I can tell you."

"It's all right, Riku," Aerith said. "We understand you've been through a lot." 

She sat settled into her chair, putting her hands in her lap.

"I just hope that Kairi, Sora, and Sei are doing all right. Do you think they are still on this world?"

There was a definite dissension in the way Riku shook his head.

"No."

Leon crossed his arms across his chest, the disbelief more than just a little evident in his face. To his credit, however, he tactfully kept any of that cynicism from showing in his next words. 

"If that is the case, I'll ask Beatrix to make sure she has someone keeping an eye on the glimmer you four used," he said.

Yuffie clasped her hands behind her back, gazing at Riku with her dark brown eyes. "Good idea, Squall. But until anything else comes up, I think you should probably try to rest, Riku." She waggled a finger at him. "Who knows what'll happen later."

"I agree with Yuffie," Aerith said. "Do you want to stay here or go somewhere else to kill some time?"

Riku paused, clearly considering his options.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. 

He sounded almost like he didn't trust himself to do anything.

"I think...I'll just take a walk around the castle—-maybe go down to the library or to the training yards. Is that all right?"

"Perfectly," Yuffie told him cheerily. "Feel free to go wherever you want as long as you're here. And don't worry..." she added as they all stood up from the table, pushing back their chairs. "I'm sure you'll be reunited with Kairi, Sora, and Sei soon."

Riku didn't look convinced. Beneath his stony mask, his chest ached with fear and sorrow.

~I'm not afraid of the darkness! 

How could he trust himself not to hurt his friends?

###

There was something about Disney Castle that made it seemto be forever suspended in the Light. Looking at everything bathed in the glory of the sun, it was hard to imagine anything bad ever happening. It was difficult to believe that something so terrible as the Heartless even existed and that the stars of the night were slowly winking out one by one, even as she formed all these thoughts.

~the end of our crusade...I'd like to see that day****

Had it only been yesterday that she had said those words? It seemed that with every step they took their journey's end only grew farther away. Had it really been a month already? Those first days that she had spent with Riku and Sei as they had been searching for Sora felt like a distant memory. 

Kairi raised her eyes and looked side-ways over at the brown-haired young man walking beside her. Heseemed so sad and far away, his blue and gold-mottled eyes remote as if his mind were trapped somewhere that no one else could see. When he noticed her studying him, Sora tried to smile at Kairi, to reassure her that everything was okay. His smile was so empty it was difficult for Kairi not to cry. 

She began to wonder if what he had said had been thetruth, if Riku had really attacked Sora. Sora would never lie about something like that, but...how could it be true? Did this mean the darkness was possessing Riku again? She didn't want to think that was possible, not after all he had suffered. Her eyes burned.

~Riku...

Donald and Goofy walked just ahead of the human pair, and the fox boy led the way in front of them, moving at a brisk trot as the others followed without speaking. Kairi felt eyes turning to stare at the motley group that was trooping down the halls. All the while Goofy and Donald attempted to fill the oppressive silence. 

"I'm sure the king will be able to help us clear things up," Goofy said firmly. "We'll find out what's really going on here."

"Right," Donald said in agreement. "You'll be on your way to finding Riku and Sei in no time!"

Kairi sighed quietly. She wasn't sure she believed in such simplistic optimism.

Goofy pulled open the library door and held it open as the rest of the group filed in. To the side of the room, near a pair of cushioned chairs and a small desk, Mickey and Minnie stood talking in hushed tones. Minnie's expression was anxious and worried as she turned a furtive glance towards the newcomers, doing little to reassure Kairi's mind. Pluto sat placidly at the pair'sfeet, watching the discussion above him. The two quickly finished what they were talking together about and then turned to greet the group. Goofy and Donald at once saluted smartly. 

"Your majesties," they greeted in unison.

"It is good to see all you again," Mickey said after Donald and Goofy had addressed their king and queen.

"Yes," Minnie said. "All of you, thank you for coming."

Mickey nodded and then began.

"Although this is a bit of a sudden meeting, I feel it is important that I speak with the two of you before you leave to seek out your companions." He narrowed his gaze to focus on Kairi. The young woman blinked under that piercing gaze, surprised at the power that could be held in the eyes of such a mouse king. 

"Now is the time for me to give you, Kairi, something very important and that, until this time, was only necessary for me to carry..."

Mickey held out his hand, and streams of yellow light collected into it, materializing into a golden key with a black and silver handle. There was a flash of white light, and then the key disappeared from Mickey's hands, reappearing in Kairi's. Although the weapon was not remarkably heavy, Kairi found that she had almost dropped the thing from pure shock. 

"King Mickey---?"

For a moment she was at a complete loss for words.

"What?!?" Donald cried out, expressing the shock that Kairi couldn't.

Goofy stared perplexedly at Kairi as she stoodfrozen to the spot before then turning his bewildered look towards the king.

"Your Highness? But why?"

Kairi felt Sora's hand take hers in his, and she squeezed his hand in return. His expression was encouraging and filled her with a quiet reassurance. Her mouth felt remarkably dry, and she swallowed that sensation away before she spoke next. 

"How can this be? Why did you---now of all---why /me/ so suddenly?!?" 

This was all too much.

"I—-I don't understand," she stammered at last miserably.

"In your present state, I don't expect you to understand," Mickey answered with a sympathetic smile.

Kairi looked from the keyblade in her hand to Mickey's face, then back at the keyblade again.

"Please." Kairi could sense true pleading in his voice. "I only ask that you take the keyblade with you on your search for the door to thelight."

Her hand was still shaking, but Kairi closed it into a resolute fist as the keyblade dissolved into a stream of golden dust. She bowed her head.

"I promise I will, Your Majesty."

"You'll do fine. I know you will," Minnie said earnestly as Goofy and Donald nodded in agreement, adding other words of encouragement. 

"I am as unsure of these circumstances as you must be, but I trust Mickey and his decisions."

"Thank you, Minnie." 

Mickey waved one hand towards the door. "It's still early morning, and Kairi and Sora probably don't want to waste any more time. Shall we proceed to the throne room?" he suggested. 

Again the group exited out into the halls, this time drawing yet more stares---if only for the unexpected addition of the king and queen of the castle. They walked into the spacious throne room, and before Kairi could draw her heartkey, Sora stopped and turned to face Mickey. 

"We still don't know where Riku and Sei are," Sora pointed out. "Or once we find them, where to even begin looking for the door to the light."

Mickey quirked his brow at the much taller young man.

"You still don't know?"****

"Know...?" Sora looked stunned.

The mouse king frowned.

"I'm actually rather surprised, but don't you realize /that/ at least yet?"

Sora shook his head, baffled, and Mickey sighed.

"Ah well. It's bound to come to you eventually. My advice is just keep going--you'll find them." 

There was a sound like cool metal and wind, and Sora turned around to find that Kairi had opened the portal.

"As for the door to the light--" Mickey continued.

The pair paused as they stepped up to the gate.

"You can reach Kingdom Hearts through the heart of the worlds, the heart of a fallen star. Remember that, Sora."

"Good luck," Donald called.

"You can do it!" Goofy shouted, waving.

"Take care!" Minnie added after the knight and mage. She stood beside her husband, her hands clasped over her chest as Kairi and Sora waved back and then disappeared.

###

Selphie was sitting on the edge of the porch. She leaned back on her hands and stared off into the distant morning sky.

"So, where do you think he is really from?"

Wakka cast a curious look at her as the young woman spoke out loud. Beside Selphie, Yuna was also sitting on the worn boards, having joined them a few minutes before. Tidus was sprawled in the grass, picking idly at the ends of the gold-green blades. 

"What with him falling out of the sky and everything."

"Don't tell me you're still insisting on /that/ story," Wakka cried in disbelief.****

"Why not?"

He shrugged. "Cause, well, ya know--things like that jus' don't happen."

Selphie sent him a withering look. Spoilsport. "What would you know? Besides, I know what I saw."

Wakka rolled his eyes. "Sure, whatever Selphie." 

"Wakka, YOU--!"

Wakka shifted his blitzball to the other hand with obvious lack of concern. "Tidus, back me up on this one."

"Maybe it was a messed up spell—-" Selphie was saying loudly over Wakka "--like, he's a mage or something from the mainland—-or he was on an airship or something—-you know, it doesn't have to be a /completely/ impossible explanation—-"

"Settle down, Selphie..." Yuna cut in calmly.

"But he's being completely impossible!"

"Tidus?" Wakka said again, ignoring Selphie.

Tidus was staring pensively at a small patch of grass just beyond his right foot, thinking. It was a moment before he answered Wakka, and when he did his voice was uncharacteristically contemplative.

"Once," he began, "I heard my old man talking with Yuna's dad Braska. It was really weird, and right after that night five years ago--do you remember what I'm taking about? The night that Riku and Sora disappeared? They were talking about this weird experience Jecht had had. I didn't catch much of it, but Jecht mentioned something about a place called TranverseTown, or something weird like that. He was talking about other /worlds/."

"I remember that," Yuna said, her eyes widening in understanding. 

"Yeah--we were both working in the shrine that day. I didn't understand it back then, but now I wonder..."

Tidus put his hands behind his head and fell back into the grass. "Anyway, my point is...maybe this guy Sei's from another world."

"I hope you're not pulling my leg on this one," Wakka warned.

"Another world?? For real?" Selphie asked in awe. She, for one, had no trouble believing Tidus' story.

"Wow...that's just like the games we used to play when we were kids! I remember that Riku and Sora and Kairi had wanted to get off the islands and explore other worlds...they even built a raft to go sailing on..."

Selphie sat straight up. Her friends could practically see the light bulb going on. 

"So /that's/ where they went!!"

~Oh, yeah--~Selphie pumped a mental fist in triumph.

~Selphie, super-genius!

"It makes sense," Yuna agreed. "Even though we can't prove that is what happened."

Selphie would have jumped to her feet as this point--if doing so had not been physically impossible for her at the moment.

"That's where you're wrong!" Selphie cackled manically. "Sei's our proof! We simply have to make him spill all his little secrets--he's bound to know something! Don't you see? It's the perfect plan!"

"I think I'm beginning to feel sorry for this guy," Wakka muttered to Tidus. "Maybe you should have kept your mouth shut—-now we'll never be able to keep her under control."****

Tidus nodded with an understanding look on his face. His eyes turned their focus onto someone walking towards them from the other side of the house.

"And here he comes now..."

###

At first, Sei didn't think about much as he walked. It was nice enough simply to feel the warm, tropical breeze on his coppery skin, soothing and comforting all at once, as well as hearthe distant sound of waves inter-mingling with the cries ofexotic birds and the voices of the local villagers. Then, listening to the people and looking all around at the quaint houses and buildings, he began to wonder what it had been like for Sora, Kairi, and Riku to grow up in this place.

Ansem had never been to the villages of the Destiny Islands. From Ansem's part of their memories, Sei knew that his dark side had only graced with his presence a very small island that Sora and his friends had claimed for themselves off the coast of Coeptus in their youth. One could see the little piece of land from the beach, even swim to it if one had felt the desire, but mostly the children had reached it by paddling out in small boats. And because he haddecided that he would not be completely useless during his stay at the island, Sei began to sift through these memories and images of Ansem's doggedly as he tried to decide his next course of action. 

In the memories, he saw an island with a bent tree and golden, star-shaped fruits hanging from its branches. A fifteen-year old Riku stood on this island with a wooden practice sword in his hand, staring pensively out into the ocean and the darkening horizon. Snatches of a conversation long forgotten flitted into his mind.

~and suppose there are other worlds... then ours is just a little piece of something much greater

Sei hesitated, smiling regretfully at these fragments of his friends' childhoods before shifting to a different scene---a darkened cavern. Rough, sketchy drawings had been sketched onto the stone walls, obviously done by the hands of children. At the far end of the cavern stood a door covered in intricate gold symbols.

~this world has been connected

A sultry voice spoke from the shadows---the darkness that was once again a part of his heart.

~one who knows nothing can understand nothing

Despite the warmth of the island, Sei suddenly felt very cold. His chest ached, and he had to stop and take a deep, ragged breath.

These places...these were where Sora's, Riku's, and Kairi's adventures had begun, were they not? In whole it had been the haven of their childhood and the place where destiny would first enter their lives. Sei decided that he would go and see this place. He wasn't sure what he expected to find, but he felt he had to do something with himself as long as he was stuck here. He'd ask someone--perhaps Yuna or one of her friends--to show him the way and maybe lend him a boat, even if it meant risking the scrutiny of that weird Selphie girl.

It was then, turning around the side the house, he came upon the small gathering of teen Destiny Islanders, consisting of Yuna, Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus. Sei stared blankly at the group for a minute before finally recovering himself. Yuna greeted him with an amiable expression, Tidus and Wakka flowing suit after her more awkwardly, introducing themselves to the strange foreigner. Even Selphie seemed friendly, although Sei had reason enough to treat her with the most wariness. The look he had caught on her face as he arrived had been reminiscent of a younger Yuffie at her worst.****

###

Kairi gasped as the nothingness washed over her senses. 

Idiot! In her anxiety she had forgotten that something like this had happened and might happen again...

"Sora!"

She nearly jumped when she heard the sound of her own voice echoing back at her. Sora's voice answered her call.

"I'm here Kairi!"

Kairi nearly felt her knees give way from underneath her in her relief, and she whirled around, bumping into the young man's chest.

"Sora..." She pressed her face into his shirt as he took her in his arms. "I thought...I thought we might have been separated again..."

The void melted away, and then they were standing in the same room inwhich Kairi had met the non-existent one who had looked like her.

"Kairi, where are we?"

Kairi shook her head as she stepped back, still clutching his hand. "I don't know. But, I've been here before--when I was crossing between the worlds to get to you."

Two people in the stylized hooded coats of the non-existent ones stood a small distance away, watching them impassively. One of them could be guessed to be Sora's mirror image from his build and the small part of his face and his spiky hair that wasn't hidden. The other was a young man neither Kairi nor Sora recognized with a slightly taller, willowy build and short, copper-colored hair shinning from the depths of his hood. Sora's Nobody's lips moved as his voice resounded in their minds.

~Don't pretend you don't know the ___****


	15. Forgotten Memories

A/N:

Responses to review(s)-

Tornado-kun: ^_^ I figured that Kuja would have a completely different back story for KH and why not make him a halfway decent person? (Knowing him though, he's still probably a bit of an arrogant narcissist...:p) I also had had plans for including Seymour in this story, but never figured out a way to incorporate him. Thanks for all of your input so far, btw! It's really been a great help!  

###

Riku remembered the first time he had woken and found himself in another world. The darkness had taken him to the chapel of Hollow Bastion, and he had opened his eyes to find himself staring at the arched ceiling of a dark stone room. A woman with elegantly cold features and dressed in black and purple had peered down at him, a knowing little smile on her face. 

Hollow Bastion had been the first outside world he had ever explored after that night of fate, and he had become very familiar with its layout and chambers. Walking through the castle again with only his own thoughts for company, he marveled at places he remembered as having lain under a heavy coat of dust and ruin, now repaired and refurnished to suit its returned occupants. There hadn't been much time for him to reminisce before. But now, with Sora, Kairi, and Sei separated from him...

Separated. Riku halted mid-step. Why had they been separated? It wasn't even as if this were the first time. Five years ago they had been separated when the Heartless had taken Destiny Islands. Sora had been sent to Traverse Town, to be accompanied by Donald and Goofy in his journeys. Kairi as well, although they hadn't know it back then. As for himself, he had been transported to this castle. Funny, he thought bitterly, how everything had worked out so well.

On a whim, Riku summoned the Oblivion keyblade into his hand. Its metal felt cool and reassuring. It was a beautiful, graceful weapon, really. It was also colored nearly entirely black, from the tip of its elaborate blade to the crown-shaped key chain that hung from its silver handle. Sora had found the key chain in the ruins of Ansem's laboratory shortly after sealing the keyhole that had emerged within the chamber. When he had tried the key chain, it had proved to enhance his keyblade to become quite a powerful weapon, only matched in strength by the Oathkeeper. 

And yet...Riku realized that he had never seen Sora use the black keyblade before in battle.

_~So why don'tcha ever use that black keychain anymore, Sora?_

_Goofy, Sora and Donald had been standing at the final rest point before the battle with Ansem, prepping for the impending encounter with potions and ethers as well as choosing useful accessories. Sora had been sorting through his keychains, the bright charms spilled out on the ground. Looking up, he gave a sheepish little laugh before answering Goofy. _

_~Heh...oh, I dunno..._

_He swung the Oathkeeper in a wide, practice arc, the blade flashing silver in the strange, shimmering lights that brightened the cavern._

_~It's just...it's a really powerful keychain and everything, but something about it makes me uncomfortable. I don't know what it is, but..._

_He twirled the handle of the keyblade around his hand, biting his bottom lip broodingly. Then he shook away his thoughts, displaying a toothy grin for his two friends._

_~Anyway, I should use Kairi's lucky charm for this final fight. You know...just because_

The Oblivion's key chain lay in the palm of Riku's hand, and he stared at it for a long moment. In the beginning, they had thought that only one keyblade existed, but now it seemed there were at least two, if not more. Sora had his first keyblade, of course, hidden beneath the trappings of the Oathkeeper, while Riku had always assumed his Oblivion was in truth Mickey's kingdom key. Tightening his fingers around the edges of the crown, Riku tugged firmly, willing the key chain to detach. When the chain's hold on Oblivion's handle did not loosen Riku pulled harder. Still nothing changed, even when he was pulling with as much strength as his arms could muster.

~Dammit, why won't this thing come off?

Riku released the key chain with a scowl and dismissed his keyblade. This occurrence probably meant nothing. At least, he thought with a mental sigh, he hoped it didn't. With nothing else but his own bleak broodings to accompany him, he began walking forward again.

~my liege...

Riku halted abruptly, and his head shot up, his eyes darting back and forth from behind his blindfold as he searched the corridor. 

A voice... voices?? 

It sounded almost like a chorus of voices, dry as autumn leaves and dissipating smoke. He was not so far buried in his own thoughts to not become alarmed at /that/.

~we have come for you...my liege...

The speakers sounded pressing and eager. The way they spoke was odd though... were there any words at all? Riku found that, although his mind was interpreting words and meaning, he was not hearing any real language.

"Who's there?" he cried out.

There was a faint shift in the shadows along the corridor and the familiar sound of Heartless bodies moving along the stone. He froze as numbing cold washed over his body.

There was something waiting. 

There were voices calling...him...

Riku ran down the halls towards the source of that call, his surroundings passing in a blur. Distantly he noticed the golden eyes and dark shapes of Heartless watching him from the shadows, but he ignored them as the summons grew stronger. Suddenly he /needed/ to reach the source of the call, needed it with every fiber of his being. He barely noticed that the chill within his heart had become a cold fire of consuming ice that had spread throughout his body. It had become beyond him to care.

He stumbled over a fallen beam in his path, and only then began to realize where he had brought himself. Somehow, he had made his way into the heart of Hollow Bastion---the ruins of Ansem's laboratories. His shoes crunched on splintered wood and broken glass as he stepped straight through the hall into the main chamber.

~destati...tendi la mano

Riku walked into the midst of an ocean of darkness without the slightest change in stance or expression. Only when he extended his hand and the Oblivion fell into his grasp did the slightest glimmer of a smile touch his lips. 

Surely this was how things had been meant to be all along.

The darkness converged upon him in a wave. Slowly, the thick tendrils coiled into nothingness. When the final remnants of the darkness had disappeared, Riku was gone.

###

Two teenagers stood on the stone steps, one hand clasped in the other's as they stared up at the doors of the cathedral. Both were breathing hard, having practically run the entire way from Gheppetto's shop in the first district to the chapel.

~Don't pretend you don't know the meaning of the true paradise...

Sora opened the door, taking the first step into the empty chapel as Kairi followed quietly behind him.

It seemed that Mickey had been right after all. Disgustingly secretive though he had been, the mouse king had revealed only the truth when he had told the pair to simply "keep going" and that by doing so they would somehow find their missing companions. The moment they had stepped out into the dusty light of Gheppetto's shop, both had felt the strange tug within their hearts, a feeling that had drawn them outside and then split as if leading towards two different destinations. At first they couldn't make any sense of this new sensation, but then it was as if they simply /knew/.

"One of them is Riku," Sora had whispered out loud as they paused on the pavement outside the shop. "The other is Sei..."

He had stared out into the distant skies, his mottled eyes a strange reflection of the heavens.

"Our hearts have been connected..."

Kairi shivered as they walked through the dark chapel, something numbingly cold passing through her chest briefly before fading into shadow. There had been little time for discussion on the way, but now in the gloom she took a moment to think about everything that had happened to them. 

"What the Nobodies asked us...what do you think they were talking about?" 

Sora's eyes seemed to flicker eerily in the dark as he looked back at her.

"The meaning of the true paradise..." she whispered. Why did this sound familiar to her? 

Sora smiled bitterly. "Whatever they meant, it wasn't much better than what King Mickey has so helpfully told us." Frustration added sarcasm to the young man's voice. 

He slumped into the seat of one of the long wooden aisles of benches, crossing his arms over his chest. The chain links of his necklace clinked with the movement, and his crown pendant gleamed in the light. "What does the king think he can accomplish by hiding so much from us? Who does he think he is, playing with us like this?"

Kairi quietly sat down beside him. She could tell that beneath the surface Sora's mind was in turmoil. He was angry with the king, disappointed that this figure whose subjects seemed to hold in such high regard had been so much more a puzzle than of any real help. The Nobodies were just as bad in their own way, popping up as they pleased and meddling in the affairs of this world to achieve their own mysterious ends. Most of all, he felt so helpless. Regardless of whatever he tried to do, everything around him seemed to be so completely out of his control, and spiraling more and more so with every passing moment. 

Kairi bit her lip.

"Sora...what are we going to do once we find Riku?"

Sora stared straight ahead at the altar, but his arms tightened perceptibly around his chest. She instantly regretted asking the question once it was out of her mouth, but it was too late by then.

"I don't know. I guess..." He faltered and then gathered his words back again before he lost what little resolve he had. "I guess we'll just have to see, won't we?"

There was pain in his voice. Kairi could feel it too---every time she thought of their silver-haired friend, a dull, cold ache seemed to fill up her chest. She couldn't tell if this was simply her own feelings or if it had to do with the strange, unexplainable connection that had awoken within their hearts.

She tried thinking of Sei, waiting to see what sort of feeling her heart would give her from that. It was better this time, a cooler, calmer sensation in her chest. If she waited, though, something darker seemed to move beneath that deceptively tranquil surface...

"Sei," she murmured. "I wonder if Sei's doing okay?"

At the mention of the man, a strange expression crossed Sora's face---sardonic, sad, and pitying all at once.

"I trust he's doing fine. He knows how to take care of himself," he answered.

"I hope so," she whispered.

Kairi leaned back into the bench, her back pressing against her hands. She was staring at the little alcove where she and Sei had once spoken after a fleeting prayer. Somewhere underneath those amber eyes was a sage whose heart had been stolen by darkness, but she didn't like to dwell on the memory of a man she hadn't even known. Who she knew was /Sei/...a young man who had grown closer to her than she had first imagined possible, as both an ally in battle and as a friend.

"We should go now," Sora said after a silent moment had passed. "No sense in staying here any longer."

"You're right," Kairi said, standing up with him. "They're probably waiting for us, after all..."

They crossed half the room before she remembered.

"Oh!" Kairi stopped and reached into her bag. "After everything that's happened, I completely forgot to give Mickey this package...!"

After a moment of rummaging, she finally drew out the paper-wrapped package that Mohmoki had delivered to her. Sora inspected the parcel in her hand suspiciously.

"Package?"

"Yeah, a moogle gave it to me---he told me that it was for the King. You can open it if you want, though. Mohmoki said it'd be all right if we wanted to take a look."

Sora carefully took the package and tugged the knots of the strings undone. The dome of the sphere shone like a bright jewel among its crinkled wrappings. He lifted it from the paper, and then---it was hard to tell whether in experimentation or simply on a whim---he pushed a button.

"Sora!!" Kairi cried in consternation. "What do you think you're doing? You don't even know what it---" 

"...We talked for countless hours, but one story in particular caught my interest: that of a key called the 'Keyblade.'" 

"--is?"

Kairi stopped short, her eyes widening as a smooth, male voice seemed to fill the room.

"The Keyblade is said to hold phenomenal power. One legend says its wielder saved the world, while another says that he wrought chaos and ruin upon it..."

"Ansem...?" Sora breathed in disbelief.

Ansem's voice faded away, and the voice changed to that of a young boy's.

"...I won't disappear yet...until I meet Sora and Kairi one more time..."

A bright light burst from the center of the sphere, filling the entire room until...

A door stands before the white path, gleaming in the darkness. A silver-haired boy watches as the face with sky-blue eyes slowly disappears beyond the opening. 

Gone. His hand lingers on the smooth panels a moment longer before he collapses to the earth, unable to fight the steady fall of tears that stain the sand...

A child stands on the beach over a small, redheaded girl sprawled in the sand. He stares at her curiously, pressing the palms of his small hands on his knees. A few moments pass before she rouses with a groan, gingerly sitting up and letting her knees fold underneath her...

Two boys play in the surf, dusted in the pale light of morning. One has copper-colored hair and the other has steel-toned locks, but otherwise they are identical in every physical aspect: yellow-tan skin and lithe, thin builds with perhaps a little too much ungainly arm and leg that doubtless they will grow into. They are twins with crystal-gray eyes, laughing as another turquoise wave tumbles about their knees.

They stumble back to land, completely soaked in seawater, and flop to the earth, careless of the sand that sticks to their skin and their clothes. Copper-hair closes his eyes for a moment, basking in the warm light. He opens them again when he hears his companion shifting into a sitting position beside him. His twin wraps his arms around his legs, staring out into the distance. He seems so...sad? Copper-hair scoots closer, a concerned expression on his face, but his twin does not move or look away from the distant waves.

"Promise me you'll never change."

A figure with light-brown hair and dressed in a white shirt and brownish-pink skirt approaches them from behind. The silver twin breaks off abruptly as the pair turn to face the newcomer...

The images are suddenly gone, and Kairi blinked, finding herself gazing once more around an empty room. Sora was still holding the sphere, staring mesmerized at the golden words that appeared within its crystalline depths before dissolving away into golden dust.

~The Records of Fate

###

They were standing on the fishing docks of the village, a group of four congregated on the far end of the last pier. Beneath them rocked a row of small boats---the sort that would have been ideal for paddling the short distance from the mainland to the small island just off the coastline. Sei had fully intended to borrow one of these boats to do just that. Preferably /alone/. 

He decided to repeat his words again, as if maybe that would somehow break through the unbelievable obstinacy of this little girl.

"I assure you, it isn't necessary for you to accompany me. Really, I appreciate all the help you've given me so far, but I wouldn't want my own silly tourist-type fancies to bother you."

Selphie merely smiled all the more widely at him.

"Oh, it's no bother at all. You're new here, and I've got nothing better to do. Tidus and Yuna say they're free this morning too."

Sei turned his gaze towards the pair standing just behind Selphie. They waved and smiled at him rather sheepishly. Wakka was absent from the gathering, having been called away by his brother to attend to other errands in the village. Sei looked back at Selphie with a very bland expression on his face, the vaguest twitch of his eyebrows the only indications of any irritation he might have been feeling.

"We'll be happy to take you on tour," Selphie continued. "'Specially since it's been, like, ages since we've had a chance to go back to our little island---right Tidus?" 

Tidus mumbled something unintelligible, and Selphie chattered on.

"It'll be fun, the four of us going out there for an hour or so."

Sei's lips pressed into a thin smile, weighing up his chances of shaking off this mad specimen of squirrel-girl.

"All right," he said evenly. "If you insist upon on it."

A smirk might have crossed her lips, but she had soon covered it with a chipper smile.

"All right!"

Tidus walked up along the side of the dock and stopped beside Sei.

"These boats can only hold two passengers at a time," he said. "You can hop into that one with me, and the girls can go in the one next to it."

Sei shot him a look of gratitude, not hiding the relief he felt at being saved from being partnered with Selphie. Tidus smiled, highly amused by what was going on.

"So we're off then?"

Sei stepped gingerly into the vessel first. Tidus followed after him and then untied the line that attached the boat to the dock.

"You okay over there, Yuna? Selphie?" Tidus called.

Selphie propped her crutches to the side, settling herself properly beside Yuna.

"We're fine, Tidus!" Yuna replied. 

They set off, moving fairly quickly once Sei had gotten used to maneuvering the boat with Tidus through the water. In the other boat, broken-leg or no, Selphie was also managing well with Yuna. 

Sei squinted through the glare of the sunlight across the ripples of the waves. On the shores of the little splotch of forested land they were approaching, he could see two rough wooden shacks, one the beach and then one built up in the trees. On the far right side he could make out a little lump that might have been the paopu island. An expression of fond nostalgia came across Tidus' face as they neared the island.

"We used to go out here all the time," he said, pausing briefly to stare at the island. "When we were kids and had more time on our hands than was probably good for us."

"It must have been nice, having an island haven all to yourselves," Sei remarked.

"Yeah, it was."

After a moment Tidus frowned a little, as if debating something inside his mind. 

"How do you know them?" he asked. The question had almost been blurted out, as if he had been thinking about it for a while already. They stopped in the middle of the water, the boat rocking with the movement of the waves as Sei turned a bewildered gaze to meet Tidus' almost accusing stare.

"Riku...Sora...Kairi...how do you know them?" Tidus demanded.

Sei's face became expressionless---his infamous "enigmatic" mode. Tidus didn't know Sei so well as to recognize the look, but he could tell that he'd run against a wall that probably wasn't going to come down easily.

"I'm sorry," Tidus said quietly. "It's just...I've been thinking a lot lately. About other worlds. About what happened five years ago, and what this island's been like since then...when Riku and Sora disappeared, you know."

"I've had some really weird dreams since that night---always about darkness and shadows, all around me and inescapable except for buttery yellow orbs that float in the void and are suddenly eyes. When I look through those eyes---and I'm seeing so many worlds, so many places it is completely unbelievable! ---I think...they want something, don't they? Something inside all of us..."

Tidus trailed off, staring into the wind almost vacantly. When his eyes snapped back to focus and he seemed to recover himself, he tried to hide any uncertainties with a smile on his face.

"I must sound crazy, don't I? I mean, I'm not even sure why I'm telling you all this, except...you're the only person I know now who could even probably /begin/ to explain to me what this is all about."

There was silence as Sei took a moment to digest all this. 

It took an exceptionally strong heart to remember all of that which Tidus had just told him from his time as a Heartless. Tidus didn't know he had been a Heartless of course, didn't realize that that night five years ago had been a time when his world had been swallowed by darkness. This was all very strange indeed. Sei studied Tidus keenly, wondering exactly what sort of people had he had found himself with anyway? Tidus shifted in his seat, feeling oddly uncomfortable under Sei's unblinking gaze. For the first time, it really occurred to him that there was something terribly strange, something he just couldn't figure out, about the man. 

By this time Sei had made up his mind. 

The boat began to move again as the two rowed towards the island. Selphie shouted back at them from ahead, asking why they had fallen behind. And Sei began with the night of Fate.

###

After the sound of those voices and the roar of the wind and the ocean, it seemed too quiet in the cathedral.

"I don't understand," Kairi whispered. "The Records of Fate...what does it mean?" 

Sora stared at the sphere a moment longer, as if by waiting the answer would come to them within its glass depths. When nothing appeared, he gave up waiting and wrapped it up again.

"I hope I didn't do something too terrible by not giving that to the King."

Sora tightened the knot of the string and then gave the sphere back to Kairi.

"It's too late to think about that now," Sora said. "I'm more concerned about finding Riku and Sei before anything else happens--we can go back to visit the king about this later."

Kairi stowed the package back in her bag and buckled it shut, but there was doubt on her face. If her actions were the cause of disaster in the future, she'd never forgive herself for it. Too much was at stake for her to be so careless.

They crossed the chapel and climbed the old stairs up to the storage room. Things were just as they had left them last---but, then again, it really had only been two days since they had last left the cathedral. The portal and Kairi's heartkey lit the room briefly before they stepped out into the bright sun.

By the side of the road, in the shade of the trees, a very familiar trio idled, accompanied by their chocobo mounts. Glenn and Eries sat in the grass, playing a game with a set of small stone throwing pieces. Beatrix had her back to the newcomers and was taking a drink from a round bottle strapped to her hip. Eries was the first to notice Kairi and Sora, and she gave a small squeak of surprise at the sight of them. She and Glenn stood up quickly, their game abandoned.

"Ah! Captain..." Eries stumbled.

"--The keyblade master and princess have arrived," Glenn cut in quickly.

Beatrix turned to face the newcomers, capping her bottle and letting it fall to her side.

"Finally!" she exclaimed. "Leonhart sent us here over an hour ago to see if any of you would turn up!"

"Has something happened at the castle?" Sora asked sharply.

Beatrix nodded. "Riku was found alone down in the canyon by waterfalls, and we assumed your group had been separated. He has been in our care since then."

She strode up to a chocobo and pulled out a small device from a saddlebag hitched to its side. The bird turned its head to study its rider's movements with inquisitive black eyes. Beatrix stroked its feathered side absently as she fumbled with the device with her other hand.

"I'll report immediately that you've arrived."

Kairi sat down on the grass, pulling her legs close to her as Beatrix punched several of the buttons on the apparatus and began speaking into it.

"Highwind? The keyblade master and Kairi are here. Yes I know, but---Goddess Cid! What in---" 

Cid grumbled something from the other line, and Beatrix snorted in response. "Hah! Fat lot of good that does us---" 

Pause. Beatrix looked to the side as Sora walked up to her and asked if he could talk to Cid.

"I'll have to check up on that. But before we get into that, here's the keyblade master, and he wants to speak to you--"

Beatrix waited and then handed the communicator over to Sora. The young man listened for a minute as Cid related to the young man him everything that had happened at the castle since that morning. Sora's face paled as he heard more and more about Riku and the circumstances arising up at the castle. Then---

"What do you mean you can't find him?!?"

###

It was much cooler in the Secret Place than outside. Much darker too, with a damp, almost mysterious air. Light filtered in through little spaces between the rocks and the dirt and the tree roots, so Sei wasn't completely blind as he crawled through the little tunnel into the cavern. A child could have easily walked upright through the opening, but Sei was much too tall for that presently. Thankfully the cave itself was quite large, tall enough that he could stand up with his head just brushing the ceiling. 

Sei pulled back a stray strand of hair as he looked around at the cavern. The room smelled strongly of wet soil, stone, and wood, and there was a certain earthy comfort about this place. The sketches on the walls added innocence to that comfort. Sei smiled as he knelt down and gently touched the crude chalk drawings, trying to imagine the small hands that had created them and the stories the children had spun while they etched their pictures into the walls. Then, after a few minutes of quiet had passed, he turned towards the door.

It was just as he remembered it. At first glance, the door seemed ordinary enough, even with the strange gold signs ornamenting its worn panels. It almost seemed impossible that just through that door could lie something as important as this world's own heart. 

He pressed his palms against the cool wood, studying it. The door was still vulnerable to the darkness, he realized with dismay---no one had ever had a chance to lock the world's keyhole. He sighed, dropping his head a little and thinking about the keyblades. Well, he supposed there was no use worrying over that which he had no control of. He took a few steps back. With a last cursory glance around the room, he ducked down through the entrance of the Secret Place.  

Outside, the island trio was sitting in the shade by a pool near the Secret Place. They looked up when Sei emerged, brushing dirt from the knees of his pants.

"Hey," Tidus greeted, raising a hand. "Find anything interesting?"

Sei smiled. "A few things, I think."

He walked across the path to stand beside the group. Tidus scooted over to make room for the man at the edge of the pool, and Sei settled down beside the Blitzer.

"I just finishing telling them what you told me," Tidus said, "About the Heartless and the keyblades and the other worlds."

Sei nodded, propping himself up on his hands. 

"It's...well...it's quite a lot to believe, really. All of it sounds almost like a fairy story, or one of those adventures we'd make up as kids," he admitted. 

"But I believe you. I mean, I guess it all just makes sense in a way."

Yuna and Selphie nodded in agreement. A new sort of respect seemed to be in the faces of the three as they looked at him. Even, Sei noted in surprise, on Selphie, who seemed oddly determined to say something. Her lips were pressed tightly together, and she was staring fiercely at Sei.

"I'm sorry." Right away she gave a kind of guilty laugh, putting a hand to her head in an embarrassed fashion. "I think I was being a bit of a pain in the arse to you before, wasn't I?"

Sei had never been a stickler for these kinds of things, and he tried to wave it off.

"No harm done."

He must have said it a little too stiffly though because Selphie suddenly burst out laughing. 

"So," she said when she had regained control of herself again.

She stuck out her hand, grinning. "I guess I'll just start over. Friends?"

Sei accepted her hand. Selphie laughed again.

"Yeah!" She shifted onto one knee, grabbing her crutches with a ruefull grin. "Heehee...I'm sorry. I get a little excited sometimes. So how about that tour we promised you now?"

"All right," Sei assented.

The group had begun to stand up when Yuna gave a cry of horror. Sei swore as he caught sight of what she had seen, and Selphie gave a shocked yelp. Dark shapes had begun to form around them, solidifying into inky black bodies with butter-yellow eyes. Sharp claws crunched on the gravel as the creatures took a few steps forward.

The Heartless had come.

###

A/N:

Those first bits about Sora and the keychains was just my way of exploiting/explaining the fact that Oblivion was not an optional weapon in Final Mix.


	16. To Meet Again

A/N:

As you can see, even after a two-month hiatus, this fanfic is not dead ^^. I don't really know when the next chapter will be completed. As quickly as my muse will let me, I suppose. Hopefully I won't be hit by another writer's block before ItL's finish.

###

A flurry of needle-sharp shards of ice flew towards the Heartless. A few of the creatures were struck by the volley and vanished in trails of smoke. The rest halted their advancement. They paused briefly to study their prey and then tensed their muscles, preparing to rush forward. Sei didn't wait for them to make the first strike. 

"Run!"

He cast another Blizzaga spell, and Yuna and Tidus sprinted through the gap he had created in the throng of Heartless. Selphie dropped her crutches with a yelp as Sei scooped the girl up in his arms and ran with her down to the open beach. The Heartless turned at these movements and began to swiftly follow the humans to the water.

From the sand Tidus picked up a large piece of driftwood, holding the unwieldy branch like a sword as he dropped into a defensive stance. 

"You guys want a piece of me?" he called with fierce brashness, standing in front of Yuna protectively. "Then come and get it!" ****

Any Heartless that drew close were promptly knocked away and backwards as the wood made contact with their small, shadow-dark bodies. Sei deposited Selphie beside Yuna and then hurried to help Tidus. He focused another spell towards the oncoming hordes.

"Thundaga!"

Bolts of lightening fell from the heavens to destroy several more of the Heartless, bits of glass forming in the sand where the lightning had melted it. Another shower of ice needles hit a pair of Heartless before they could reach Yuna and Selphie. On the other side, Tidus was fighting the onslaught as best he could, but it was more difficult for him to beat back the Heartless as he didn't have a more potent weapon. 

Two Heartless jumped at the blonde simultaneously. One was knocked several feet out into the surf. The other managed to claw his arm before the blonde could pull it off. He sent a grateful glance towards Yuna when the telltale glow of green healing magic shimmered over his arm and mended the wounds. Yuna smiled back at him in encouragement, but it was obvious that he and Sei would never be able to keep back the Heartless forever, not by themselves and all but unarmed.****

Selphie leaned over to stare at Yuna apprehensively as a fiercely determined look came over her face.

"Yuna...?"

"I have an idea----" Yuna said quietly. Then, more clearly so the others could hear her as well, "---just give me a little room! I'll do a summoning--"

Selphie scrambled backwards, closer to the hem of Yuna's dress. Sei quickly moved away as well. A gleam of fascination showed in his face despite himself as he cast a sideways glance at the girls. 

"All right, Yuna! That's the spirit!" Selphie cheered.

Yuna closed her eyes and began to go through the movements of the summoning. A cry of pain halted her mid-summoning, and her eyes snapped open, wide and panicked, as she and Selphie and Sei turned towards the source of the cry.

Then Yuna screamed.

"TIDUS!!!"

A Heartless had stuck its black claws into the blonde youth's chest. His eyes were vacant and staring as he fell back. Even as they watched, Tidus' form vanished as his glimmering heart was consumed by the darkness. For a moment, all Yuna could do was stand there, frozen. Selphie stared horror-stricken at where Tidus had stood only moments before.

"Oh no! Tidus---!" 

It finally seemed to sink into Yuna's mind what had just happened, and something broke. She began to cry, Selphie patting her on the back and hugging her and trying her best to consol the summoner. 

"Yuna, don't cry...it'll be okay..." 

Sei turned back to face the Heartless, white-faced from what he had just seen and more resolute than ever to continue protecting the two girls. He called down another storm of lightning. One set of Heartless dispatched, he pivoted towards the other side. 

"Graviga!"

A troop of Heartless was pushed flat to the earth and destroyed, only to be replaced by another. He cast a water spell to dispatch a few more.

"Waterga!"

 A strain of fatigue began to pull at him---a sign that he was usingtoo much of his magic too quickly. A trained black mage would have had little difficulty lasting much longer, but he was no black mage. He pulled together strength to cast another gravity-based spell, wondering how long he would be able to keep this up. He hadn't been conditioning himself to work magic like /this/.

"Graviga!"

The gravity spell hit six of the Heartless at once---two managed to flee before they could be hit by the full brunt of the magic. His darkside watched these events with growing interest.

~Give up

Sei didn't halt when Ansem's voice entered his mind, and Ansem persisted in his own cool, detached way.

~Surely even you can see the darkness will overtake you and the rest of your friends eventually. This island will again be eclipsed by darkness

Sei forced his arms to stop shaking and to focus his remaining energy into another spell.

~Shut up---damn you----shut up!

Something painful flared up in his chest and Sei doubled over, gasping for breath and wrapping his arms around himself. Ansem's voice rose up inside of him triumphantly.

~Howlong did you honestly think you could confine /me/ with your weak light?!

As if beckoned by some signal, half a dozen Heartless leapt on Sei at once, pushing him onto his back on the sand. Sei screamed as a Shadow plunged a clawed hand into his chest, catching a hold of his heart in its icy fingers. The darkness began to wrap around his shard of heart almost instantaneously, and the Heartless crawled away from his body, watching with unblinking butter-colored orbs. 

Sei was drowning in the darkness---he couldn't breathe or cry out, and the more he struggled, the farther into its depths he was dragged. He could no longer see or hear or feel anything of the outside world. And Ansem was laughing---

Then Sei was gone. 

Ansem stood up from the earth, dusting the sand off his clothes and staring down for a moment at his hands and his arms and his body---the body that had been denied him so long by his pathetic little light. His self-satisfied smile turned to a slight frown in his irritation. But then, he thought musingly, if it hadn't been for his light, this body would have disappeared---probably to become a Nobody or nonexistent one. But that, he supposed, no longer mattered.

He looked down the beach towards the two girls who had accompanied Sei. His eyes narrowed when he noted the sudden lack of Heartless and the large avian-spirit that now stood beside its brown-haired mistress. Yuna had one hand on Valefor's neck and was staring with cold iciness at Ansem. All signs of her anguish at Tidus' loss were gone except for a redness about her eyes and a light shimmer on her right cheek where she had missed wiping the tears.

"Who are you?" she demanded frostily. "Where is Sei?"

Selphie looked around, as if hoping that Sei had somehow managed to survive and was simply hiding somewhere.

"Sei? S-e-i!!" she shouted. "Can you hear me?!?"

Ansem looked bored, as if he weredealing with children of no significance. "Your voice can no longer reach him where he is."

Selphie turned to stare at Ansem, confusion on her face.

"What...?"

Then her eyes suddenly widened in recognition. "Hey! You---you're that guy Sei was talking to this morning! I'd recognize that creepy voice anywhere! And---" she glared daggers at him with these words "---and I bet you're with the Heartless, too!"

"Perceptive little girl, aren't you?" Ansem asked mockingly.

"Perceptive little girl my arse---" Selphie snarled. "Your stupid Heartless took Tidus!"

"As is only inevitable for all the hearts of this world. Very soon even you shall be joining your friend." 

"Who do you think you are, saying things like that?!? Come on, Yuna!!" she cried, turning to the other girl, "Have Valefor show this guy what happens when he messes with us!"

Yuna was only happy to oblige.

"Go forth, Valefor," she murmured, her voice brittle and wintry.

"Yeah," Selphie cried. "Kick this guy's sorry butt!"

Valefor gave a piercing cry and dove for Ansem, claws outstretched. A weapon materialized in Ansem's hand before the summon reached him. Valefor had no time to retreat. The copper-skinned man whipped up the lower blade of his swallow to cut through Valefor's side. The summon veered away with a shriek, preparing to circle around and strike at Ansem once more. While still at some distance away, it shot a thin, white beam sideways at its opponent. There was an explosion upon contact between the beam and the ground, sending up chunks of earth and a thick cloud of sand and dust. From out of the cloud flew several orbs of purple and black energy. Valefor gave a screech as the shots converged upon its body. It crashed to the ground in a daze, its body slowly disappearing in flickers of light.

Selphie gave a cry of horror.

"Oh no! Valefor---!"

"It's all right, Selphie---Valefor won't die that easily."

Yuna was far more worried at the moment about what would happen to herself and Selphie and the rest of the islands. Her hands tightened into fists at her sides. She wondered if the Heartless had reached the villages and if everyone was doing all right. For now, it seemed like there was nothing more she or Selphie could do...

Ansem ignored the two girls and made his way up the path to the Secret Place. His stylized coat billowed about his ankles.

~There is still so much we don't understand...

He halted as a pool of darkness began to form at the base of the entrance, his brow knitting together in puzzlement. His face cleared when he saw the young man emerging from the darkness, eyes hidden by a blindfold and silvery hair framing his pale face.

"Of course..."

The pool of darkness gradually flickered away, and Riku looked up. He stared, but even after afew moments, his face remained blank. Only the deceptive coolness of his words showed that he held any emotions at all.

"You have no right to be here."

He stepped forward and pressed his hand against Ansem's chest before the other man could react. He drew the darkness away from the light within, enough so that the light could retake its other half and its body. When Riku began to see Sei's light glimmering brightly, he took his hand away. Sei stood there unsteadily, looking around him uncomprehendingly. Then his knees buckled and gave way beneath him. He collapsed into Riku's arms, his face pressed against the latter's chest.

"You can't walk, can you?"

Riku sounded amused. Sei would have scowled in reply, except Riku's shirt was in the way, and it seemed like he could barely muster the strength to even stand up. 

Riku chuckled.

"Heh...all right, let's get you to somewhere more comfortable, and you can rest."

They shuffled out of the damp shade of the trees by the Secret Place and into the sun, Riku supporting Sei. It was so beautiful----the only signs that anything had happened at all wasglass in the sand and a thin, jagged trench where Valefor's energy beam had cut into the earth. Sei shuddered, despite the comforting warmth of the sunlight.

"You-'re---cold---" 

Riku paused to give Sei a faintly inquiring look.

"---you---feel like---"

Sei stopped, letting his head fall onto Riku's shoulder. It reminds me of the cold of the darkness, he had wanted to say, but he didn't. It wasn't just a physical cold---he thought he could feel it inside his heart too, somehow.

"What did you---do back there---anyway?" He muttered instead. "How---?"

He broke off when Riku gently set him in the sand against a palm tree.

"I have power over the darkness," Riku murmured. "And I never liked Ansem---but you already knew that." His smile was chilling at these words, but then his expression softened. "Besides, I couldn't leave you trapped like that."

Sei looked like he wanted to ask more, but Riku stopped him.

"We can talk later. Go ahead and get some rest."

Sei nodded heavily, not bothering to fight the fatigue any longer. He had alreadyfallen asleep when Yuna and Selphie approached the two young men. Yuna peered down at the blindfolded one, uncertainty and questioning on her face.

"Riku?"

###

They had left Hollow Bastion's world to follow that tugging feeling in their hearts through Traverse Town's streets once more. At first, the direction the pull took them confused Kairi---she wondered if maybe Sei or Riku had ended up on a world they had never been to before because she didn't remember opening a glimmer in this area. When they stopped in the shadows of a darkened alley, Kairi was almost certain about her first assumption. But after a moment, something prickled in the back of her memory about an alley in the night. About herself cold and wet and lost...and she wondered...

She stared at the place where the glimmer was, wondering if it really was the same portal she had used in the beginning.

"What is it, Kairi?" Sora asked. "Is something wrong?"

Kairi held her heartkey uncertainly against her chest, grasping the handle tightly in her hands.

"I think this is the way back to the Destiny Islands," she said softly.

Destiny Islands.

The world where it all began. 

Sora grew silent, focusing pensively on the glimmer.

"I didn't even tell anyone that I was leaving that night," Kairi whispered. "They have no idea---and then you've been missing for five years now. This'll be a big shock. For everyone."

"...a shock. Yeah."

Sora sighed, running a gloved hand through his thick, dark hair.

"You know, Kairi---I've been dreaming about going back home forever. Ever since I left you to search for Mickey and Riku. Ever since I promised you I'd come back. It's funny because...now I think I'm scared to."

In the shadows, his face looked just like a little kid's----completely uncertain.

"I thought the day I came back would be the day I had opened the door to the light and defeated the darkness. I don't think we're even close to achieving that yet."

Kairi hugged him tightly. 

"Oh, Sora..."

Sora buried his face in Kairi's chest, Kairi holding him like he was a child.

"It's okay Sora----don't be afraid. It'll be awful, having to go back when you know we'll just have to say good-bye again. But---"

She fumbled for a moment at her neck, then held up the necklace that shewas wearing.

"See this, Sora? A thalassa shell from when we were little; thalassa shells were good luck charms for sailors."

Sora looked up at what she was holding, managing a small smile.

"To ensure that no matter what happened or where they went, they would always be able to return home," he murmured.

Kairi nodded encouragingly.

"Right. So, this won't be the last time you see home," she said. 

Then, more seriously, "Or if it is, at least you were able to see it at least once more, and everyone back home would know that you were still all right, even after these years."

Sora nodded. "That's true. I owe them that much, at least." He chuckled. "I feel like...a kid who's run away from home or something. Come back from the dead. It's silly, I guess."

Kairi smiled.****

"Well, whatever it is, I think everyone's going to be happy to see you again." 

She spun the keyblade once in her hand like a baton.

"So, ready?"

She opened up the portal, and they stepped out onto the beaches of the Destiny Islands. 

It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the bright glare of the tropical sun after the clouded skies of Traverse Town. For a few moments they simply stood there soaking in the sun. Kairi sighed, tasting all the familiar scents and flavors of the island. It seemed like nothing had changed here since the night she had left it.

~It feels so good to be back

Wakka and his younger brother Chappu were fixing a fishing boat out on the beach, a hole apparent in the hull of the craft. Farther down the shore, Leena was watching over the smaller children of the village as they built sandcastles, swam in the ocean, and beat each other with dull practice blades. Kairi gazed around at the island paradise, feeling like it had been years since she had last set foot in the warm sand or joked around with Selphie, Leena, andYuna in the village. Of course, for Sora, it _had_ been years since he had last been with everyone, and he was feeling that. He stared at everything and everyone with his wide, blue-gold eyes, as if he could soak in the entire island if he only stared hard enough. Despite his earlier misgivings, a huge grin had formed on his face.

"Home..." he whispered. "It's really home..." 

At the boat, Chappu looked up, a hammer still in his hand. He caught sight of the newcomers, and his jaw dropped open. Making excited exclamations, he jostled Wakka until his older brother would look at where he was pointing. When he did, Wakka gawked. Then he jumped up and began to sprint across the sand towards the pair, Chappu close behind him. They waved and shouted excitedly as they drew close.

"Kairi!" Wakka exclaimed. "Ye Goddess, you're back!"

"Kairi, where have you been?" Chappu asked eagerly. "You've been missing for weeks---everyone's been so worried!"

They stopped just short of the two and Chappu turned a quizzical look towards Sora.

"And who's this guy you've brought back with you?"

Wakka's eyes grew wide as he studied the brown-haired young man.

"Chappu, you moron, it's Sora!"

"No way! Sora, is that you?!?"

Sora smiled feebly and twiddled his fingers in a sort of little wave.****

"Hey guys, how's it been?"

"My God! Sora---! Do you have any idea how much grief you've caused us at the islands?! Gone for five stinkin' years---we thought you had /died/----arghhh if your mum doesn't kill you---then just watch it 'cause /I/ will---!"

Wakka stopped mid-rant when he realized that both Kairi and Chappu were laughing. Then Sora sort of chuckled too, and Wakka sighed and grinned in defeat.

"Ah well...but seriously, what's been up with you guys? You and Riku gone for five years---then Kairi up and poofs into thin air, not to mention that strange guy Sei shows up, falling out of the air and causin' Selphie to raise a fuss---"

Kairi gasped.

"Sei?" she broke in, "Sei was here?"

"Yah, you bet---he, Selphie, Tidus, and Yuna went over to the island we always used to go to." He peered across the water at the islet. "They probably won't be gone too long---hey, while waiting for them to get back, how 'bout seeing everyone back at the village?"

"I---well---" Sora stammered.

"We'd love to!" Kairi said with a grin. "Come on, Sora!"__

_###_

When Sei awoke next, he found that he was still where Riku had placed him, curled up in the sand beneath the shade of a tall palm. Riku sat beside him, playing with a long, thin branch fallen from a nearby shrub. He was staring out into the ocean, but he turned to look at Sei when he felt the other man shift beside him.

"How are you feeling?"

Sei winced and let his forehead fall to Riku's shoulder, his eyes closed as he mumbled something unintelligible. Riku raised a slender brow beneath his blindfold.

"What's that?"

"...awful. I feel like crap."

Riku smirked. "I'm not surprised. An hour wasn't nearly enough time for you to have regained your strength."

Sei raised his eyes briefly to look at Riku before slumping back into his original position.

"An hour?"

"More or less. Last time this happened, you had an entire night to recover. 

Sei was silent for a moment.

"Last time..." he whispered.

Then he laughed softly, the action completely devoid of any real joy or humor. Just pain.

"I really...am pathetic."

Riku glanced at him sharply.

"Don't say that." 

Riku's voice was quiet, but there was a harsh intensity held behind his words.

"To live with that---that /thing/ inside you, as part of you---you're one of the strongest people I know. Don't _ever_ let _him_ tell you otherwise. Ansem..." Riku spoke the name like it was something poisonous---to be spat out rather then spoken. "I'd have disposed of him more thoroughly had I not known it would hurt you, too."

Sei slowly blinked at the silver-haired young man. A hesitant smile twitched at his lips.

"Thanks, Riku. And thanks for helping me. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come."

Riku shrugged it off.

"It's not a big deal."

Sei nodded and then shifted so that he was leaning with his back on the tree.

"Are Selphie and Yuna alright?"

Riku waved his hand airily in response.

"They're fine. I told them to go ahead back to the village. I'd stay here with you until you woke up."

He paused, then added, "I needed some time alone. I don't know if I can handle going back just yet."

"It's been five years now, hasn't it?"

"...yeah."

Sei brushed his long hair out of his eyes.

"Riku, I've been meaning to ask you...something's happened to you with the darkness. I can feel it. What happened?"

Riku was quiet for a few moments. He looked down at the branch in his hands and then broke it in half.

"I'm not sure..." 

He closed his eyes briefly. 

"It scares me...because it feels so /right/...but I think-"

Riku turned his head to meet Sei's gaze.

"-I think I'm becoming the darkness." 

He broke one of the stick's halves into two smaller pieces.

"You don't look surprised to hear that."

Sei shook his head. "No...I guess I'm not, really."

Twist---snap.

"It feels like Fate..." Riku said softly. "It...feels like everything, not just Ansem, has been working towards this."

Riku threw away the rest of the branch in his hand and summoned his keyblade. The weapon shone like a piece of a starless night among the light and brightness of the island.

"Sora never used the Oblivion, you know." 

He tugged lightly at the keychain hanging from the handle, smiling sardonically.

"It won't come off."

The Oblivion disappeared when Riku released it. The silver-haired keyblade master sighed, pulling his legs close to his chest and resting his chin on his knees. He and Sei sat beside each other in silence, their minds wrapped up in a tangle of memories, wondering where exactly this road of Fate was leading them.

Sei had fallen asleep again when Riku saw Sora and Kairi approaching the islet. They were still some ways from the beach when Sora caught sight of the pair. The brown-haired teen nearly jumped up from his seat in his relief and his excitement to wave at the pair. Kairi had to pull him down by the leg of his jeans before he capsized their craft. As soon as they reached the shore, Sora tossed their oars off into the sand without paying the least attention to where they landed, and he and Kairi ran towards the two under the palm.

"Riku! Oh, thank the Goddess---!"

"We came as soon as we heard what hadhappened from Selphie and Yuna----"

"Are you two all right?"

Kairi knelt down by Riku and Sei, looking at them with worry.

"What happened? Is Sei doing okay?"

"He's fine---just sleeping---"

Riku stared up at Sora as he spoke. His face, if it were possible, was whiter than it had been before. 

"The keyhole----in the Secret Place," he heard himself say. "You probably want to go seal that."

Sora stared.

"What?"

"I never got around to the keyhole in the Secret Pla---" Riku repeated.

"No, I heard what you said," Sora interrupted. "I just----well, all right. I'll go take care of that."

Sora climbed up the ridge behind them and proceeded to follow the path up to the Secret Place. When he returned, he squatted down beside Kairi across from Riku.

"All right, Riku," Sora said equably."Now, we talk."****


	17. My Heart's Reflection

A/N:

::Sigh:: this chapter would have been out sooner, but I faced a lot of problems getting it done. Plus, I was gone a week for spring break. Special thanks to Megumi-chan for her help and encouragement, and Kintora for her email. 

###

_and in the kaleidoscope of colors that are the fragments of the world, among the stars, on the shore that is the beginning, that is paradise, they are conceived by the Great Heart, by the people---the keys---the children, to reclaim what was lost, to connect what was broken; twins; they are inseparable, they are complete, they are yin and yang, darkness and light, divided by Nothing and No one_

Venn stops when he feels Luca crane his head over his shoulder. He's pulled down the black hood of his coat, so he can hear Luca's soft, even breaths near his ear above the rhythmic rush of the waves. A few stray strands of Luca's coppery-hair tickle and poke wire-like at his pale skin. He doesn't move away.

"What are you doing?" Luca asks. He stares down at the bottle in Venn's hands. The glass is illuminated silver-white, and when he spies the roll of paper stuck inside the vessel, his eyes flicker with an almost child-like interest.

"Another one of your poems?"

Venn holds the bottle for a moment, feeling its cool weight in his hands.

"Maybe."

Venn stands up. Because of the sudden movement, Luca tips back ungracefully onto the sand, and he tilts his head up to look at the other steel-haired young man curiously. He cries out in indignation and surprise when he sees Venn throw the bottle out into the water---a gleaming, evanescent arc.

"It wasn't very good anyway," Venn says calmly, still standing. "You wouldn't have wanted to read it."

Luca shakes his head. "Liar." 

His voice is not colored by annoyance or immaturity---it is the self-possessed statement of a fact. 

"Your writing is always beautiful." 

He sits up, the skirt of his coat flaring around crossed legs. He leans forward, crystalline gray eyes gazing into the horizon.

"Always," he repeats. "But maybe someone will find it. Someone of the Present World." 

His mouth crooks into a wistful little smile as Venn sitsdown beside him. "I know---I'm dreaming. /We/ can't even leave this world, much less a note in a bottle."

Venn is quiet. He is thinking about the time that has passed as they have waited, and he wonders how much longer they will have to wait, practically non-existent to the outside world. He is thinking about Shaori and the others, waiting with them, and then he looks at Luca. The other youth has propped himself up onto his elbows as he stares out at the water.

He knows that if he were to listen, he would not hear a heartbeat.

_endless_

_maybe our journey meant nothing at all_

###

Sora's eyes were intense, flickering like water and metal as he sat across from Riku. Kairi hugged her knees close to her chest as she watched her two friends.

~So much has changed...

The sudden, striking proximity of their two hearts---it was almost as if two pure, contrasting energies had come to rest on that little islet, calm enough for the moment, but almost certain to come into conflict with passing time. ****

~Light and darkness....

She shivered, hoping that what she was feeling from their connection would not lead to something terrible and irreversible. Her thoughts returned to the events of that morning and what Sora had said---that Riku had attacked him. Looking at Riku now, sensing the darkness from within him like a winter chill and seeing him so pale and blindfolded---she found that it was all too easy to believe.

~what happened to the boys I remember? 

Her eyes turned towards Sei, curled up beside Riku beneath the palm. Her stomach knotted when she felt the darkness lying just beneath the surface of Sei's outer shell, barely held in check by a seal she realized was Riku's work and a few tendrils of Sei's light. Sei had said that Ansem had never really gone, but she had never realized how much power Sei's dark side still held until that moment.

~what happened to the days the wind blew by?

She frowned as she studied Sei's heart for a few more moments. Something seemed very strange about the man's fragmented heart, something very different.

"I guess I'll just say it then," Riku was saying quietly. "There's no point in avoiding it any longer. I've already told this to Sei, and I'm sure you can feel it...that I think...I'm becoming the darkness."

Kairi found that she had been holding her breath when Riku spoke. He seemed sorrowful and ashamed, yet somehow resolute at the same time. Sora's face was pained, but it seemed that it had been no more than what they had all been expecting.

"I know, Riku," he whispered. "I know. I just wish...it didn't have to be this way." 

He sighed.

"But it's always been this way, hasn't it? Even since that first night, when the darkness came to our island and you told me you weren't afraid. I guess that was the night we made our choice."

Sora's voice shook at the end. Kairi understood what must have been going through his mind because she was feeling the same: it was terrible, just accepting what was happening to Riku. But what else was there that they could do, especially when it seemed not even Riku himself had any control over this?

"It looks like our keyblades reflect our choices," Riku said. "Or at least our keychains." He smiled grimly. "I suppose that means then that both versions of the legend were true."

Kairi started as she recalled something that had been pushed from her mind since their arrival at the Destiny Islands. "That sphere mentioned the legends----but then, what would that mean about my keyblade?"

"_Your_ keyblade??" Riku stared at Kairi, as if wondering if he had heard the girl correctly. His thoughts were written blatantly on his face: _since when?_

"That's a surprise," someone mumbled. All eyes turned towards the source of the voice. Sei gingerly sat up, rubbing his eyes with the back of a copper-skinned hand. From the way he held himself, it was obvious the man was still very tired despite having just beensleeping.****

"How long have you been awake?" Riku asked, his attention momentarily diverted. Then, more sharply, he added, "You know you're never going to recover at that rate."

Sei let out a faint laugh, letting his forehead rest on Riku's shoulder fora moment. "Heh, thanks for the concern."

"Sei, are you all right?" Kairi asked worriedly.

Sei smiled wanly. "I'm fine. Just... a little tired."

Kairi frowned, not believing him at all, but he had already started talking again, asking questions to draw the subject away from himself.

"You were talking about a sphere? And a keyblade?" 

"Yes..." She wavered for a moment, unsure of how to explain. "I was asked to deliver the sphere----a kind of dome of blue glass in a metal stand---to the king. It's shown us these...images, I suppose, some of them from our own pasts. Mickey actually gave the keyblade to me while we were at his castle."

She summoned the keyblade to show Riku and Sei. Sei's brows rose, clearly surprised and very interested in the object she now held. Riku watched as Sei accepted the keyblade, feeling it in the palms of his hands and examining it from blade to handle. He paused, noting the absence of a keychain.

"Did the king give you a reason for this?" Riku asked. Kairi shook her head. 

"We're very much in the dark about everything. He didn't even tell us very much about the door to the light when we asked him about that. He only said 'you can reach Kingdom Hearts through the heart of the worlds, the heart of a fallen star.'"

"Whatever that means," Sora added, sounding not a little put out.

"The king does seem to make himself purposefully unhelpful at times," Sei observed. He passed the keyblade to Riku, who, after having looked it over himself, returned it to Kairi.

"I left the sphere with my bag back in the village. You can take a look at that when you get the chance," Kairi said.

They continued to talk, filling each other in on what had been happening in the past day since their separation at Hollow Bastion. Sora and Kairi spoke a little more about the events at the Disney Castle, leading into their meeting with the Nobody and the strange nothingness between the worlds. 

"I had already met one of them before. When we were separated I found myself in a strange room with a Nobody like myself. She said that what had happened had only been inevitable." Kairi hesitated, thinking. "I wonder...if it's them that separated us between the worlds."

"Perhaps," Sei agreed. "In which case, we're in quite a bind then, aren't we?"

Perhaps. Kairi let out a mental growl of silent frustration. Why were they meddling now, of all times? Just when they had found Sora.... Sometimes it seemed as if everything in the universe were simply set on making their quest more complicated than it, strictly, had to be. Separated on that first night of fate...reunited as Sora and Riku found themselves venturing deeper into their adventures of five years ago. Separated after the closing of the doors of kingdom hearts...then later reunited in the halls of Hollow Bastion...only to be separated again.

~/Please/ tell me this is not going to be a permanent trend

She'd die, she told herself. If this kept up time and time again...she'd crawl into a hole and refuse to keep on living.

Riku and Sei also recounted what had happened to them. Riku spoke of how he hadended up in Hollow Bastion, was cared for by their friends there, and of how he was eventually transported to the Destiny Islands. Sei told about his apparent "fall from the sky" and that he had met some of the trio's old friends in the village. Then, although Selphie had already explained about this somewhat to Sora and Kairi, Sei and Riku detailed the fight on the islet.

"So from here...I suppose we could risk going back to Traverse Town," Sei suggested uncertainly. 

"Find the king. Demand some /real/ information for once instead of only riddles," Riku added coolly.

"But, with the chance of getting separated again...I don't know." Kairi's eyes were dark with worry. "We're only going to bring ourselves more trouble if it happens again. 

"At the same time we can't just stay here," Sora pointed out.

A grim, uncomfortable silence ensued as each of them considered their present dilemma. 

"I guess...we're back to square one on this one," Sora said at last.

Kairi wanted to scream. 

Who were these Nobody? Why were they doing this to them?

And yet--- (and Kairi found this to be even more depressing)--- the Nobody weren't even the worst of their problems. She couldn't even begin to understand what was happening to them now, with the darkness and their hearts and their keyblades.

Back to square one indeed.

###

They were waiting on the docks of the village for Sora and Kairi to come back. Selphie had left Yuna to be by herself for a little while in the temple. The other girl had managed to hold herself together long enough to return to the village and help Selphie deliver the news about Riku and Sei to Sora and Kairi. Her grief hadn't begun to show again until she was safely within the cool, quiet confines of the village temple. Then she had let the tears flow freely. 

Selphie buried her head into her lap.

She had dated Tidus for a little while when they were younger, but in reality she quite simply loved him like a brother. Tidus hadn't seemed to show much interest in quiet, calm little Yuna when they were kids, but in the past few years it had seemed as if they had been drawn to each other in some sweet, inexplicable way. Kairi had reassured Selphie that Tidus was still alive, that he would come back once they had found the door to the light. Selphie wished she could put all her faith into that idea, but she really didn't know. She didn't know much of anything about those Heartless, about the door to the light. Yet, for Yuna's sake, perhaps she would allow herself to hope.

~Tidus, if you're out there...please come back

~Yuna loves you too much for you to just disappear without even saying goodbye

Sitting beside Selphie was Sonia. Sora's mother had a slight, neatly cut figure with smoky brown hair and clear, silvery-gray eyes. In those eyes Selphie could see a determined spark of life, something that had seemed to slowly die after Sora's mysterious disappearance. She remembered their reunion in the town square, Sonia weeping uncontrollably in her happiness. Even after having just witnessed Yuna's sorrow over Tidus' loss, Selphie was glad for at least that gain this day. 

Her eyes scanned the water in increasing agitation. Where /were/ they? What was taking them so long? Didn't they know how much they were beginning to worry her? She was up in an instant when she spotted them on the opposite shore, pushing their boats out into the waves. After what seemed forever, Sora and Kairi's boat reached the dock first. She jumped them the moment their feet hit dry land.

"What were you guys doing out there?" Selphie demanded, "Having a campout?"

"Selphie, please calm down," Sonia said, standing up and putting her hand on the other girl's shoulder. Her face when she looked at the two showed worry as well. "I'm sorry. You four were just goneso long, we were beginning to get anxious." Her eyes settled on the silver-haired young man in the other boat. "Is that Riku? You two have grown so much---"

Riku and Sei had docked. Sei sat down on the planks with a quiet, exhausted sort of sigh. Riku knelt down beside him to make sure he was all right and then looked up uncertainly at Sonia. The woman frowned as she studied his face and the blindfold that covered his eyes, but said nothing when she noticed the uneasy glances that the four companions traded. 

"It seems that you all have gone through quite a bit since you left the island." Her gaze turned toward Sei. "I presume that you are Sei." She smiled slightly. "I've heard talk about the man fallen from the sky. I'm Sonia," she added, "Sora's mother."

Sei smiled in return. "It's a pleasure meeting you."

"It's not often that this island is graced with such an unusual visitor. Or, rather, such a group as it is now. Will all of you be staying much longer?" She hesitated and then asked, "Or will you have to leave right away?"

There was a moment's pause. "I think we've decided to stay a little while to recuperate," Sora said at length. "Sei seems to definitely need that, at least. And, to be completely honest, I don't think we know what it is exactly that we are going to do next."

"I understand." Sonia's smile seemed to waver a moment before she fixed it back into place. "You kids had wanted to leave this island so badly," she whispered. "I guess your wish was finally granted."

"Mom...?" Sora asked anxiously.

"I'm sorry. Just getting a little caught up in the past. They were talking about preparing a welcome home meal for all of you," Sonia continued. "I should probably go back and start helping the other girls with that."

"Where should I take Sei?" Riku asked. "He needs rest, after all this."

"I'll take care of him," Selphie spoke up. Clearly she felt her broken leg to be of little hindrance to getting around. "He'd been staying at Yuna's house, in the spare room. I'll ask Braska and Elspeth if they'll let him use it again----though I don't think there should be any problem with that."

"If the rest of you need rooms for the night, I'll see to those arrangements as well," Sonia offered. 

"Thank you so much for your help," Kairi said gratefully.

Sonia shook her head.

"It's the least I can do." Her voice caught, and then she cleared her throat. "I'm only happy that you three are well and have returned home to us again."

Sora smiled shyly at his mother. "It's good to be home."

Sonia faltered, then stepped forward and hugged him tightly. "I know."

Old friends and familiar faces quickly surrounded Sora, Kairi, and Riku when they returned to the village streets: Wakka and Chappu, Kairi's foster family (the Mayor Darius and his wife Maia), and all the other people that the three had grown up with. The group was bombarded on all sides by questions of where they had been and what had they been up to and of comments on how much Riku and Sora had changed since their boyhood days at the island. Kairi fit right back in among the other villagers, and, although they had seemed somewhat uncomfortable at first, Sora and Riku were slowly relaxing and beginning to enjoy themselves too.

On the fringes of the crowd, Selphie spoke with a tall, brown-haired man and a handsome woman with blonde hair. Mission accomplished and permission granted, she found Sei and led him away from the crowded street to the house that he recognized from that morning. 

"Oh, and Kairi asked me to leave this with you," Selphie added, setting a bag on the floor near the door. "She says there's something for you at the very top of the stuff in there. Have a nice nap, and I guess I'll see you later at dinner."

She closed the door with a soft click behind her. Sei could hear the muffled clacks of her crutches striking the floorboards down the hall. Shaking his head with a wry chuckle at the young woman, Sei pulled off his sandy clothes and dropped them without ceremony onto the ground. He collapsed onto the bed, sleep soon drawing over him like a thick curtain.

###

Kairi went to check on Sei later that evening, about half an hour before dinner. She knocked on the door, peering in when she heard his voice call her inside. Sei had woken up and was lying on his stomach on the bed. His eyes were narrowed slightly as he prodded at the glass and metal sphere Kairi had left for him. Kairi sat on the edge of the mattress, and Sei smiled when he saw who his visitor was.

"Dinner's soon," Kairi informed him. "We're eating at Sora's house, so I'm here to take you."

She looked over his shoulder at the sphere in his hands. 

"I can see you're feeling better now," she added teasingly.

"A lot," Sei agreed, sitting up. "How's your stay here beenso far?"****

"Good. It's just too bad we can't stay longer." She sighed happily. "Home! I didn't realize how much I'd**=I** missed it until we finally came back."

She gingerly touched the smooth dome of the sphere with a slender fingertip.

"Any luck with that?"

"Some." He held it up in one hand, playing with a small knob. 

"It's quite an interesting object," he remarked off-handedly. "As you mentioned before, it has shown images and moments from our pasts and from the lives of others. I can't imagine how anyone would have had access to all of this----but perhaps it might explain some things about King Mickey that I had never understood..."

Sei pressed a button on the side of the stand, and an image burst from the sphere, enveloping them in gray-white light. Two boys, the same twins Kairi remembered seeing in the cathedral chapel, stood before them back to back. Each now held a keyblade---the copper-haired youth wielding what seemed to be the Oathkeeper, while the silver-haired boy clutched Oblivion. On closer inspection, Kairi realized there was something different about the Oathkeeper Copper held---the keychain hanging from the handle was a delicate white flower, edged in lavender and blue. The Oblivion, on the other hand, seemed to be the same blade that Riku now carried.

"I can only guess that these are the boys from whom the legends had risen. I think you are familiar with it: one story says the keyblade's wielder saved the world. Another says that he destroyed it."

Kairi closed her eyes briefly. "So there were others before Sora and Riku. I wonder...what happened to them. Does it show that? On the sphere?"

Sei held the object for a moment in his lap.

"I'm not sure yet," he said. "It may, but I'll have to study it further."

"Thanks, Sei." She paused. "You know, it's insane how much everything has changed since I first met you and Riku in Traverse Town that night. You remember, don't you? It's been only a month, but it feels like an eternity from now." She laughed softly to herself at the memories. "We were searching for Sora then, searching through all the worlds that he had once been in. Wonderland and Neverland and Halloween Town...and we've grown so close. Even Riku with you, and you know how he had been about secretive, dual-blade-wielding Sei."

"Not so much a dual-blader anymore," Sei pointed out, smiling a little.

"Oh, I don't know," Kairi said lightly. "Maybe not keyblades, but if we could get a good pair of swords for you---what do you think? I guess you lost yours from Hollow Bastion in your fall through the sky. But don't worry. I'll see if we can get you another pair before we have to set off again."

She regarded him thoughtfully. "You and Riku really seem to understand each other. Before, had you told us about you and Ansem, I might have been afraid that Riku would have distanced himself even more from you. It's almost strange how things work out in reality---but nice. We'll need each other if we're going to work out this whole business with the Heartless and the Nobody."

She stood up.

"So are you ready to come now?"

Sei stood up as well, putting the sphere on the bedside table. "Sure." 

###

_dream_

Sei is standing in the sky. 

No---he is standing on water. He can see the ripples beneath his feet as he takes a step forward, but mostly the water is very still, like glass or crystal. When he looks down he can see the sky's reflection as if in a mirror. After a moment the reflection turns dark, becoming a night sky with bright stars scattered between the silver clouds. Sei looks up, but the sky above him is still bright, sunlight filling the blue expanse.

He nearly jumps when he senses someone coming from behind him, and he turns swiftly to meet the newcomer. Ansem laughs cruelly at the fear in Sei's amber eyes. Sei tries to step back, but his foot sinks through the water. He's falling into the darkness. The stars go out, one by one. Meteors flash across the sky like bits of gold.

Suddenly his descent has stopped. He is in white-gray nothingness, and a very familiar, small figure is standing before him, wearing a sad smile on his mousy face.

~Who is Sora?~ he asks.

And, as if it were only the most natural response in the world, Sei replies

~the light

Mickey nods encouragingly.

~And Riku?

Simple.

~the darkness

Again Mickey nods.

~Who is Kairi?

A pause. Sei knows his confusion must show on his face. 

_Something other than light or darkness...._

The silence stretches into an eternity. Mickey's smile turns sympathetic.

~And who are you? Who is Ansem?

_The light and the darkness...a conflict without close in a physical shell..._

Sei shakes his head, biting his lip. He feels bewildered and unaccountably scared.

~I...don't know

_the 'key' to our very existence_

Mickey nods, accepting the answer.

~Find the way...~ he says. ~for /you/ are the way

_destati_

###

It was agreed that he was a fair and just king. 

A powerful and wise monarch, respected and trusted by all. 

All knew that he protected the kingdom, helped it prosper and grow, and that, truth be told, he really was the only reason that their entire world hadn't already fallen into the hands of the heartless---into the oblivion of darkness.

A mouse sovereign.

Guardian of their land.

Beloved by his subjects, family, and friends...

Donald sighed, smacking his head against the white marble of the castle wall.

However.

If any were to be asked, they were hard pressed to really understand him and his inexplicable ways.

Disappearing for days...

...weeks...

...MONTHS at a time...

::smack::

...with the barest minimum of explanation.

Donald rubbed his forehead with a wince. Minnie watched him with a concerned look on her face while Daisy only rolled her eyes.

It was enough to drive one mad----and to start all manner of bizarre rumors.

"He's gone again, isn't he?" Daisy asked Goofy. Her tone implied she knew the answer to that question, but Goofy answered anyway.

"Yep."

The note lay on the table.

It said---

_Don't worry about me. _

_I've gone to meet them._

_~Mickey_

###

A/N:

For a random piece of trivia, I stole Copper's keychain from the Real Blonde Dual-Blader in the Real KH2 Trailer (cool stuff right there, btw). A whim and last minute idea that actually turns out to work quite well for me in the end.****


End file.
